The Promise
by XxPenguinSoldierxX
Summary: Marlene is an undercover agent, built for one purpose and one purpose only. Revenge…sweet, sweet revenge that glistens scarlet under the shadow of the four commando's blood thirsty enemy. Built to destroy…unknowingly built to love, Skipper's number one true enemy hides right beneath his beak as her secret's become revealed.
1. Prologue

**Hi everyone! ^ ^**

**So...this is something I've thought about for a while now...and I finally have made it into a story. This was all based off of a dream/vision I had and I thought it could make for an interesting story. I'm keeping the rating T for now, but the rating will most likely go up for later chapters to come. Hope you all enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoM or its characters. Just my story idea. **

* * *

"What's the monthly report Android 468?"

A masked voice, sounding slightly demonic rose through the cover of night.

Starless and empty, the black sky reflected nothing but slight moonshine off the habitat owner's pool. If she could, she would have shivered from the waters icy touch. Pulling herself free of the waters frigid grip, her sleek brown fur dripped as she motioned inside her warm cave.

The chill of the late night blew through her fur, but she didn't react as her body moved towards the very back of her cave.

"Android 468? Are you there?"

She huffed in annoyance before grabbing a black wristwatch. Clicking the central button a screen opened to reveal a dark figure.

"Yes Doctor. I'm here."

"Good. Now if it isn't too much trouble-"the owner's voice was drenched in sarcasm. On the other end of the receiver, a large shape was wearing a black mask, concealing his identity, despite the fact that the brown furred android knew who and what he was.

A piercing red glow emanated from the owners mask, causing the android to avert eye contact uncomfortably.

He continued in a similar, hurried tone of voice.

"-I'd like to get on with your findings Android 468!"

Her steely brown eyes narrowed as she asked in an edgy tone "Doctor, if you don't mind me asking…why can't you just call me by my real name?"

The figure on the screen retracted in surprise. "Your _real_ name? Android 468, I built you. I created you! You are a product of my utmost genius! To call you by…oh what was it…"

"Marlene." The android growled.

"Yes, yes, whatever! If I called you _Marlene _every time we talked than I'd be giving feelings and emotions to your being. Something clearly _you don't_ have."

_You're wrong_ she thought. Closing her round eyes, Marlene breathed deep and felt what was meant to be anger, coursing through her wired veins.

"To give you any sort of meaning, Android 468, would be an insult to my name."

"Doctor…" Marlene whispered, fear clenching her circuitry.

"Yes?" He responded, voice rising.

"I don't think I can do this anymore."

A few moments of silence followed before the masked voice rose into a small scream.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

Marlene placed a cold paw along the screen and whispered through clenched teeth "Doctor! Keep your voice down, the penguins could have heard you and then your plans would have been ruined. I'm sure you don't want that."

"Quite right. Now carry on with whatever the hell you're going on about."

"I can't do it." She replied simply.

"Yes, we've covered that Android 468 but WHY can't you?"

"I think…"

"Yes, yes what is it!"

"I think…I think I've fallen in love."

Silence lapsed between creation and creator when the masked figure broke into nasally laughter. Even through the voice changer, Marlene could still pick up that annoying, high pitched noise.

Regaining his composure, the being took a dark flipper and wiped away a few tears that had collected beneath his mask.

"Oh Android 468 you are quite hilarious. Now, tell me the_ real_ reason behind your outright denial to comprehend orders of certain pen-goo-ins fates."

Marlene stared at the wall in front of her. Her thoughts were in turmoil. Of course she knew the Doctor wouldn't believe her…_but she had to try_.

Truth be told, she _had_ fallen in love with the very being she had been built and sent to destroy…and he had fallen in love with her. She could sense it, that warm, rich and complete and utmost true love that poured from him like rain.

It spread off of him and radiated to the otter in a way only she could understand. Like the suns harsh rays it seeped into her skin, only to burn her.

But she enjoyed it…every second of it. Becoming drunk off his love was something the android experienced with as much passion as she could possibly understand.

Lost in his features, her iron heart longed to see him, to feel the power that he held. She had become addicted to his ways, and with each hopeful breath she craved for it, like a bad drug.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she nearly missed the Doctors heated snarl.

"Android 468! Don't make me have to say your name again."

With a quick shake of her head, to separate the image of him that had imprinted itself within her mind's eye, the otter looked down at the watch's glowing screen.

"Yes…Doctor?"

She tried to smile, an effort gone unnoticed by the large figure.

Through the mask, she could visibly see his one eye narrow.

"You never answered my question. _Why _can't you follow orders."

As she opened her mouth to speak, the Doctor turned his head and called through the darkness "You! Red one, treat, where's my treat? I need a treat NOW!" The Doctor opened his mouth and made a few begging noises as fish were flung into his mouth.

Clenching her paws into tight fists, Marlene said "Doctor…It's Skipper. I love Skipper."

The Doctor had been in the process of swallowing a fish when upon hearing these words from his own creations throat he gagged.

"W-w-ha-a-a-at?"

The shock of hearing such atrocious words sent the Doctor falling to the floor. Marlene waited patiently as her boss righted himself and starred, appalled at her words.

His demeanor changed in an instant. Marlene could practically see the anger exploding from her creator, causing her to shrink back in fear of what kind of retaliation he'd place onto her.

"Listen to me, Android 468." He was spitting out the words in cold venom. "You don't have the wiring for such emotions. I created you all those years ago, for one purpose and one purpose only. Do you remember it? Or have all these years of soft living made you forget?"

Marlene sighed and forced herself to look into her superior's single eye.

"You created me. I'd never forget why I'm here. _I never will_. I was built, for the sole purpose of murdering your enemies, the penguins."

_My penguins…_she thought in an instant.

A wicked smile grew on the Doctors face as he leaned forward.

"Good." He whispered. "You're not built to love, Android 468, you never were. Understand this; Android 468…love is foul, twisted, and deceitful. Emotions don't _exist_ in _your_ world. They never have…and they never will."

Marlene bit her bottom lip and let his words sink in. Her eyes narrowed as she placed a forced smile upon her lips. Shaking her head slightly she whispered "Love thine enemies…"

"No! You stupid, worthless-"

"Doctor wait! Let me finish."

The masked animal snorted in frustration while waiting for her to speak and give an explanation for all her disobedience and apparent 'love' for his number one enemy.

"Love thine enemies…is what I was meaning to say, you no…before. Um, I…I guess I misinterpreted… w-what I was meaning to say was…I need to love my enemies in order to grow closer to them…and gain their trust. It-it's all to your benefit, Doctor."

She smiled brightly, in hopes of covering up for her enormous mistake. At the moment he seemed to buy it, for the Doctor nodded.

"Hm, I guess you are smart after all. Gaining their trust is of the utmost importance if you are to succeed."

"They'll never know what hit them" Marlene said with an evil smile. She hoped that the Doctor couldn't see through her lie. Through the pain she was feeling in saying those words…those words that locked her love's future.

"Now Android 468, what is the monthly report."

At that moment if she could, Marlene would have cried.

**A/N: So, can anyone guess who this 'mysterious' Doctor is? **

**Note to all: I'm only going to make more chapters to this story if people are interested in it. If you like it, than I'll make more chapters. This story isn't going to be very long. I'm thinking less than ten chapters but who knows? It might be longer. **

**Please review and tell me whatcha all think and whether or not you want me to continue! :D **

**Thanks for reading! :) **


	2. Chapter 1

**First off...wow. Thank you all for the reviews. I love each and every review so thank you! :D**

**Dinosaur-Fun: I'm glad you liked it. ^ ^**

**Thedoregirl: xD Yea...I kinda suck at trying to hide a well known characters identity. **

**Guest(sorry, not sure what else to call a guest review ^ ^')-I'm glad you liked it. :) **

**POMfan17286: I have to say that I really love your story "The League of Villains"! :D I can't wait to finish it and start the sequel! :) **

**EppiepinkfangirlXDXDXD: Cliche is something I'm going to try to keep out of the story. If you (or anyone else for that matter) finds something cliche as this story goes along could you please tell me? There's nothing I hate more than writing something that's point blank cliche (although I really try to not write like that, it sometimes happens and I don't realize it.) **

**Once again, thank you all for the reviews! They really inspired me to write another chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoM, just my story idea. **

* * *

"Ah, Mother Nature…you've really outdone yourself today."

Skipper stood on the penguin's concrete ice floe in dawn's morning light. Blue sky was splashed orange and various shades of pink in the early spring day that was to come.

The military officer sighed, and found his eyes resting upon the Asian otter habitat. Just thinking of Marlene, her beautiful, perfect fur, loving round eyes, and constant everlasting smile pulled on the flat headed leader's heart strings.

As much as he hated to admit it…he loved her. He loved everything about her, even her most annoying attributes he found cute and hard to resist smiling to.

She completed him in a way no girl had ever done so before.

_If only she knew how much I actually lov-_

"Morning Skipper."

The hatch that lay just behind the flustered military officer opened to reveal the team's lieutenant. He stepped out and into the morning light holding a hot cup of Skippers fish coffee.

Feeling as though he'd just been caught staring at his neighbors home Skipper responded quickly.

"Oh um yes, Morning Marl-KOWALSKI. KOWALSKI, I SAID KOWALSKI."

He grabbed the coffee in a flash and started to drink it. Kowalski, flustered himself at the loud and nervous outburst of his leader replied carefully.

"Um…ok than…are you alright Skipper?"

"Peachy keen, next question."

Kowalski shrugged. This was probably just normal Skipper behavior so why worry?

Without realizing it, Skipper found himself staring into Marlene's habitat. He longed to see her, see her stunning complexion, see her beauty. And maybe…just maybe…

_No. _

_Just…no. _

How could he be so stupid? Asking the girl out? _For Christ's sake I'm a military officer! _I'm _the one who told my men such feelings weren't allowed in the unit…as I've learned, love can be a cruel thing…I don't think I can take another heart break…_

_But what's so wrong with visiting her and spending the day with her. It wouldn't be a date. We're just friends._

Skipper thought all this as he sipped his coffee in the morning sunshine. Today was Sunday…time to do something the officer rarely did.

"Hey ah…Kowalski? What's today's schedule?"

Whipping out his clipboard from God knows where, Kowalski flipped through a few pages and said "military training…we're digging a new escape tunnel…ah…more training and some maintenance…um-"

Skipper cut his friend off with a wave of his flipper.

"For today solider, cancel it all."

Kowalski raised his head in utter disbelief.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me." Skipper took another sip of his coffee before looking his bewildered friend in the eyes. "Cancel everything."

"Um…Skipper are you _sure _you're alright…because I could run some tests and-"

Skipper raised his flipper stating "Soldier, that won't be necessary and I'm feeling fine. Go have fun today Kowalski, go invent stuff…go get a snowcone…just…do whatever. Today's a day off."

Kowalski blinked rapidly before backing away. "Um…ok than…and your _sure-"_

Rolling his eyes Skipper growled "Yes! Now tell the others before I change my mind and you all do maintenance work for the rest of the day!"

Kowalski didn't need to be told again. He bolted down the ladder, giggling with the intense amount of inventing he had already planned for the gorgeous day that was to come.

Having plans of his own, Skipper and his fish coffee made their way to his favorite neighbor's home.

**A/N: Please please please don't kill me for the super short filler chapter! I'm serious...this is the shortest chapter I've ever written...anyways, (hint hint) this is the prelude to future chapters so I guess that's why its so short. Future chapters will be much longer.**

**I really don't think this was my best chapter...I promise future chapters will be better and more intense! :D**

**I forgot to mention before that this story will not affect any current/future stories. **

**Please review and tell meh whatcha think! :)**

**Thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 2

**Well first I'd like to thank KeikoDa'Kitteh, Fringe Fan, Dinosaur-Fun, EppopinkfangirlXDXDXD, POMfan17286, Thedoregirl, Penguin-pirate-lover, NintendoPenguinRevolution, and dbzgtfan2004 (and Guest) for leaving the kind and thoughtful reviews! (I hope I didn't miss anybody)**

**The reviews mean so much. :) **

**Hope you enjoy this next chapter! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoM**

* * *

Marlene was sitting on her bed, fiddling with the black watch that she had owned for so many years. She twirled the watch within her paws and thought of the day she'd been given it…along with all her other early memories that resided back to her California days.

Flashback after flashback raced through her mind.

'_Welcome Android 468, to the world known as Planet Earth.' _

_The room was dazzlingly bright as new eyes adjusted to the ceilings white glow. Sitting upright she traced the voice to a dolphin riding a segway. Curiously she reached forward, surprised to see herself for the first time. Brown fur lined her arm, following it, she looked down at her body in absolute wonderment. White and brown fur mixed beautifully, a pool of water sat upon white marble as she saw her reflection in the water on the floor. Large hazel eyes…'I'm an otter.' She stated. _

'_Yes, and a very intelligent one at that.' _

_The dolphin meant every word of it._

_Lifting her head, she asked 'Who are you? I'm aware you're a dolphin…but I know nothing more than that knowledge of which I possess.'_

_The dolphin rode forward and stood in front of the otter. _

'_My name, Android 468, is Dr. Blowhole…of which you will only refer to me as Doctor.' _

_She nodded her head in understanding and asked 'why am I here Doctor?'_

_He chuckled before replying 'I thought you'd never ask.' _

'_My dear Android 468, you are the first of my many attempts at building an android servant to be a success. I've tried for years to create one…but all have failed, whether they exploded, malfunctioned…or almost killed me, my crustaceans, and then himself…'_

_He shuddered from the memory before continuing. All the while, Android 468 listened intently._

'_Now listen closely, for what I'm about to tell you is the most important information you will ever remember in that metal brain of yours…your sole purpose in life, will be to kill a certain group of pen-goo-ins that I-'_

'_Excuse me Doctor but I have a question.'_

_Dr. Blowhole gave an exaggerated sigh._

'_Yes, what is it?' _

'_Doctor, what exactly is a pen-goo-in? I've searched my pre-existing knowledge and I've come up with nothing. If this is to be the most important information I'm to ever know than I want to understand every bit of it.'_

_She smiled at him sweetly, just than learning of how to smile, and experiencing the feeling that went along with it. _

_Blowhole rolled his eyes and grunted 'Penguin. Now can I continue _without _any more interruptions?' _

_She nodded her head and found herself smiling even brighter as she listened to her creator._

'_So…as I was saying…your mission in life, will be the assassination of said pen-goo-ins that I, Dr. Blowhole, have been humiliated by for years…and years…I mean, who do they think they are? I am smarter than them, I'm better looking, in fact… MY BRAIN IS BIGGER THAN THEIR WHOLE PUNY BODIES! AND THAT HAS TO SAY SOMETHING…RIGHT?'_

_A deranged look about him, Android 468's smile had faded long ago. _

'_Doctor…are you alright? I've calculated that your level of sanity is…well…bad.' _

_Either Blowhole didn't hear her, or he had ignored her statement for he had turned away from his creation and out a metal door. His voice trailed behind him as the otter leapt off the table and onto the floor…taking her first steps. _

'_Come, Android 468, there is much for you to learn.'_

Marlene had been delicately stroking the black metal of her watch, reliving the memories of her past.

"Hey, that's a…nice watch ya got there."

She flinched and lifted her head before she gave a short scream that had surprisingly frightened Skipper.

"Ahhh! What? What?"

In Skipper's slight panicky and very much paranoid state he was looking all around for the danger that had made his love scream. It was unfortunate he didn't understand it was him.

Marlene, realizing this was a perfect opportunity to cover herself, threw the watch in a corner and pulled a blanket over it. She then rushed over, and said "Skipper, its ok…you just scared me is all."

She batted her eyelashes sweetly while trying to calm him down. Once calm, Skipper sighed heavily.

"Phew, that's a relief…so ah…um…hehe…w-why are you up so early? I-I didn't know you got up early."

Internally, Marlene giggled. It was pretty obvious he was avoiding something. She let out a nervous chuckle before sitting back down on her bed and inviting him over with a pat.

He took the invitation and she said "Oh…I just…couldn't sleep. But don't worry Skipper, what _I'm _wondering is why _you're_ here so early."

Skipper grew tense and smiled weakly. The flesh along his face grew pink as nervousness clenched his stomach.

Marlene sighed deeply, grasping onto every emotion…every feeling he was producing. Greedily, she drank it as if dehydrated, as if she _needed_ it to sustain her. Consuming it, to absorb it within her being, she had completely blanked out of reality.

"Ah…Marlene?"

A quick shake of her head and she had cleared her mind of all obsessed emotions.

"Yes?"

"Um…so as I was saying…I was sorta…maybe…kinda…wondering if maybe…you might want to…oh I don't know…go to the park with me?"

Her eyes lit up and she gasped.

"Like a date?"

"What? NO!"

Her spirit was crushed within those few words. "Oh…"

The light in her eyes dimmed and she looked away, clearly hurt. Skipper was mentally bashing himself over the head for speaking so harshly.

"Marlene I wasn't meaning it like that _per say_…"

Trying to smooth things over was all he could think to do.

Marlene lowered her head in understanding and rested her paw along his flipper. She could feel the chills it had sent up Skippers spine and she smiled brightly.

"I would love that Skipper…a day in the park, I mean."

"Great! So, ugh…do you wanna go now?"

"Sure." She replied.

The otter and penguin stood awkwardly and walked out of the otter's cave home and into the early, lovely morning.

_Moving within_ the_ darkened room, she clenched the handle of a long sword. The silver tip gleamed when specks of light fell over it._

_Silent and deadly her whole focus was on the task at hand. She weaved in and around many wooden crates and always…always had her weapon at the ready. _

_She never noticed the large blackened window feet above her head or when a large flipper pressed a button. _

_Deep within the training room, Android 468 leapt back and rolled to her right as darts whizzed past her. _

_She leaped forward and ran into the darkness, her weapon ready to strike. _

_Three penguin-like dummies suddenly popped out in front of her. The otter jabbed her sword through the first penguin's heart and ripped it out, fake blood spraying her clean brown fur. Re-positioning herself, the otter then easily sliced through the other two penguin dummies necks in a single, graceful sweep. The fake crimson poured out their necks as they fell. _

_She smiled at her work, the lights came on and through a pair of metal doors Dr. Blowhole entered. He was clapping his flippers together and a look of pure satisfaction was on his face. _

'_Well done, you are indeed marvelous with that sword. But what about a gun? Do you think you're capable, my star creation?' _

'_Yes Doctor. You created me with all necessary functions to handle any and all weapons, so yes.' A longing gleam crept within her hazel eyes. 'I am ready for said task.'_

'_Good. That's what I wanted to hear.' _

_Blowhole smirked and brought forward a ready, loaded, and fairly simple handgun. _

_The otter gently took the near black gun and marveled at its features. With eyes resting on her new and more advanced weapon she asked 'Doctor, when can I begin my training?'_

_Blowhole smiled._

Marlene and Skipper had just exited the zoo.

The sun had risen higher into the sky, and not a cloud could be seen for miles around. A light breeze ruffled Marlene's fur as she held Skippers flipper whilst walking through Central Park.

Since it was so early, people weren't out, well not at the park at least. The two had crossed over to the pond in which the penguin and otter were sitting at the water's edge, feet dangling in the cool water.

An awkward silence fell over the two so naturally, Marlene decided to break it.

"So ugh…Skipper, h-how's everything?"

"Um…fine?"

"Oh…that's good."

Marlene turned her head and placed a paw to it. If this situation became _any_ more awkward she may just go 'feral' from how stupid she had just sounded. Marlene groaned inwardly at the times her circuitry had malfunctioned and she'd completely lost it. But, luckily the penguins were always there to help her and besides that, it rarely happened.

She huffed and then snickered evilly, an idea…a very devilish idea probing the very front of her mind.

Before Skipper could question her she shoved him into the water with all her might, completely catching him off guard. She then made a run for it but Skipper grabbed her foot and dragged her in.

She squealed and tried clawing at the grass, pulling tufts out, but it was no use. The otter was flung into the water with Skipper laughing for getting even as he pulled himself from the waters grip. Water dripped from his feathers as he folded his flippers across his chest, a very smug and proud look plastered along his facial features.

Marlene rolled her eyes as she then pulled herself from the pond. But her move had broken the awkwardness of the two.

The two spent the morning swimming, walking through the whole of Central Park, talking, racing (Marlene had dared him to and had let Skipper win, afraid she'd damage his fragile ego) and just about everything else they could possibly do for the rest of the morning.

By noon, a few clouds had rolled in, so the two were lying side by side on the face of a hill and gazing up at them.

They were mere inches apart.

"So…you enjoying this day?" Skipper asked.

"Yeah…but Skipper, I'm just wondering…well I've actually been wondering for a while now…but why did you give up a day of your military training stuff to be with me?"

Anxiety seemed to fill the atmosphere as Skipper rose to a sitting position. He placed a flipper behind his neck and shrugged his shoulders, a light pink flushing his cheeks.

Marlene smiled up at him, knowing his answer and wishing she could physically feel the same way. The longing to feel even just the simplest of things…and for them to actually _mean_ something…

If only.

Sure, she _could_ feel.

But it was different.

How she _could_ feel meant nothing, as if she were only physically moving. Marlene wanted to feel what her friends experienced. The constant play of emotions that radiated off her friends and peers created a sad hole within her metal heart, never to be filled by anything…except maybe Skipper.

Skipper made her feel complete. His emotions were all she needed, and just sitting here next to him…well she wished it could never end.

When she pulled herself into a sitting position the otter gazed off into space, suddenly remembering why she was here.

_His plan for ultimate revenge. _

_The perfect plan. _

She couldn't ever imagine seeing Skippers blood flow because of her own steel hands. The very thought made her recoil in disgust.

Skipper's gaze shifted to his dearest friend where he noticed her saddened demeanor. He immediately asked "Are you ok?"

She took a chance.

For the first time in her life, she didn't think, she acted.

To see if it was real, to try to kindle the spark, the _connection_ that she knew was already there…

Cold lips met a warm, surprised beak.

**A/N: So these past couple of weeks have been more or less stressful, so I hope none of my personal crap has reflected badly off my writing. **

**So with this story, I'm thinking within a chapter or two the rating will go up to M. Not for sex scenes. Sorry, but I don't write that kind of stuff. **

**Please review and tell meh what 'cha think. :) **


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! **

**I'm so sorry for the long wait for a new chapter! A terrible mix of writers block and well...I kinda, may have...sorta maybe became addicted to Minecraft, kinda killed my writing there for a while. ._.**

**Anyway, thank you Layra, Dinosaur-Fun, K TheEpicPenguin, KeikoDa'Kitteh, POMfan17286, Penguin-pirate-lover, Asmith137, TheOneWithThePullString, ****Thedoregirl, and Rookie70Penguin for reviewing! :3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoM or its characters**

Skipper motioned with drunken like reflexes into his HQ.

His mind was a jumbled mess and his heart sped like a speeding locomotive. The captain's eyes were still wide from the unexpected surprise he'd received an hour ago.

He'd left.

Not one of his better moves…he'd admitted at the time…but he didn't know how to react. He didn't know what to think after that unanticipated kiss.

His feathers were messy and fluffed with anxiety and his breathing was slightly labored.

Most would have found his reaction a bit silly, but for Skipper, he just didn't know what to do…or say for that matter. He'd left to comprehend what in a few seconds had been, the best thing that had ever happened to him. After all, it wasn't every day the love of his life just reached out and kissed him.

He stepped onto the cement flooring with a soft thud before staring at the metal ladder in confusion and slight frustration.

Private was at the TV and Rico was in his bunk, gently brushing his dolls head when Skipper let out a soft incoherent mumble.

The small cadet turned from his favorite show and stared in horror at his leader's appearance.

It looked as he'd been through some unholy hell.

"Skippah…?"

"Emefhahe…Private...flablenemen…_Marlene_…._nemene_…"

Rico stopped brushing his doll and looked out to face Skipper upon hearing his senseless babbling. His eyes sparked with amusement and he burst into laughter before hopping down from his bunk.

Private raced to his leader's side with concern in every step.

"Rico what's wrong with him!?" Private cried out in fear.

The weapons expert was laughing so hard, he'd ignored Private and instead went inside Kowalski's lab.

A few short seconds later and Kowalski was laughing when he opened the metal door of his lab and strode out, a small smirk lined along his beak.

A camera was in his flipper and he took a quick picture, the flash that followed had Skipper leaping into the air, grabbing his chest in fright.

Private was _mortified_.

Here their great leader and friend was in some sort of 'distress' and the ones he looked up to the most were passing it off as if it were some sort of joke.

Private's face scrunched into anger as he pointed a flipper to his teammates.

"H-how could you two be so…so _mean _when there's obviously something terribly wrong with him!"

Kowalski snorted and said "Oh naïve Private, Skipper is one hundred percent fine."

Private's head cocked in confusion.

"But…but…"

"I assure you he's alright. I have some pictures from earlier today to prove it." He said in a deep, smug tone.

That did it for the flat headed leader.

Skipper, within a second, had snapped out of his haze of confusion and uncertainty.

"WHAT!" he bellowed, eyes glued to his strategist.

Private was just as confused as ever while Rico whistled absentmindedly and moseyed on away from the scene. Clearly he'd seen some of said mentioned pictures and understandably he didn't want to be a part of Skippers rage.

Kowalski backed away and hid the silver camera behind his back, (like that would do anything…) and said "Well…um, ah-"

"When I said 'go have fun today Kowalski' by that I was _NOT _meaning go stalk me and Marlene! H-how did you even know Marlene and I were going to the park today huh, HUH? _STALKER!_"

His temper and paranoia was spilling over and out to his team, namely Kowalski.

"Marlene?" Private asked. "What does Marlene have to do with any of this?"

"Yes…I have to agree with Private for once…I never mentioned anything about you being at the park with Marlene, although I do have pictures of that…"

Kowalski was flipping through the cameras pictures and mumbling to himself. Private's greatest fear at that moment was Skipper killing his best friend.

The small bird leaped in front of his leader and said "Now Skippah, I'm sure there's some…innocent explanation for all this…although I'm not sure what's going on…"

Skipper pushed his smaller teammate aside and snarled "Why were you stalking me at the park…and with a camera!"

"Skippah…" Private whined.

Everyone ignored Private as Kowalski stepped forward and held up a flipper.

"Now just a second Skipper, I never 'stalked' you and Marlene on your date-"

"_IT WAS NOT A DATE!_"

"…Right…so anyway, YOU were the one who suggested I should go get a snow cone…and that's what I did. It's not _my_ fault I _happened _to come across you and Marlene…um…well doing your…ah…activity."

"EW, EW, EW, EW, EW!" Rico shrieked while waving his flippers up and down.

"RICO! It was just a kiss…and get your mind out of the sewer." Skipper yelled, a bright red blush creeping along his cheeks.

Rico yelled right back while holding his head, clearly scarred from the mental pictures he was seeing in his head.

"We'l wa't am I sup'ose to t'ink! Kowalski nee's to word cer'ain t'ings diffe'tly!"

"Don't start blaming me!" Kowalski joined in the shouting, raising his flippers in the air as his voice rose ever higher and higher. "He wanted to know!"

The scientist pointed a flipper at Skipper and said "It's none of your business why I carry a camera with me everywhere I go!"

"Oh it must certainly is my…um…wait, you…you carry a camera with you everywhere…?"

"YES!"

Skipper had stopped yelling and instead stared strangely at his lieutenant.

Kowalski placed both flippers behind his back and looked ruffled as he stared at his feet.

"I ah…ah it…its personal Skipper, b-b-but don't start trying to change the subject here! What matters right now is that you _do_ have feelings for a certain otter AND thus proving you _are_ _a_…"

"…_HYPOCRITE_!"

"WAS THE DRAMATIC PAUSE _REALLY_ NESSICARY? SERIOUSLY, COULD YOU _BE_ ANY _MORE_ DRAMATIC KOWALSKI?" Skipper raged in an exasperated tone.

"Oh now you're just being mean!" Kowalski snapped and faced away from his leader with flippers crossed around his chest and beak in the air.

"My point exactly!" Skipper snarled with an outstretched flipper to his lieutenant.

"Well at least I don't _date_ my neighbors!"

"Um…Doris?" Skipper growled.

"Blue hen." Private piped up.

"Meh." Rico purred slyly.

"_OK!"_

"Touché, but this isn't about me Skipper! This is about YOU!"

Skipper stomped his foot and started yelling again, which Kowalski gladly followed suit. Rico shrugged and joined in for the heck of it…leaving poor Private still trying to comprehend something he couldn't begin to understand, much less keep up with.

Silently, the small bird balled his flippers into tight fists and climbed up onto their table. He cupped his flippers over his beak and screamed as loud as he possibly could "_WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT THE F*** UP!"_

…_Silence…_

Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico stopped talking abruptly and faced their innocent little Private with disbelieving earholes and beaks wide open. Skipper tried to produce words, but wasn't sure whether they should reprimanding, in stunned questioning, or punishing.

So instead, Kowalski spoke as Skipper made up his mind for punishing.

"Pr-Pri-Private…where did you hear that *gulp* word…?" Kowalski asked, a fake smile across his shocked face.

Private's anger had vanished, and his naïve demeanor had returned.

"What word?"

Kowalski's nonexistent brow lowered.

"You don't even know what you said…do you?"

Private shook his head and stepped off the table.

"If you were referring to the sentence I said earlier…well I heard something like that used a lot on the telly. It seemed to grab _their_ attention so I thought it was ok to use here." He said with an ending shrug.

Skipper sighed and placed a flipper to his forehead.

"Alright, who unlocked all the 'bad' channels?"

"I can take a guess…" Kowalski grumbled.

But when Skipper and Kowalski looked around HQ, Rico was gone. Not a feather remained.

"Figures." Kowalski muttered.

Skipper rolled his eyes.

"We are going to have a serious talk about remembering to re-block certain channels when he gets back."

"D-did I say something naughty than?" Private asked, tears brimming on the edge of his eyes.

Kowalski sighed and placed a comforting flipper around his younger teammate.

"Yes, but it wasn't your fault…just don't say that word beginning with an F again, alright?"

Private sniffed and nodded.

"Alright, that clears up everything here." Kowalski stated half-innocently before heading back into his lab but Skipper stopped him.

"Uh no. Kowalski you're deleting those incriminating photos of me and Marlene."

"Can I see them?" Private spoke up.

Two simultaneous 'no's' and the two older teammates continued talking.

Kowalski chuckled and grasped his camera a bit tighter.

"Oh Skipper…Skipper, Skipper. I'm not deleting anything because for once, I have _evidence_."

"Evidence of what? Evidence that you're a _cannibalistic, blood thirsty stalker!_" Skipper yelled, taking a step forward.

Kowalski leaned forward and jabbed a flipper to his superior, ignoring his last sentence.

"I have evidence that you, my friend, are a _HYPOCRITE_!"

"SHE CAME ON TO _ME_!" Skipper roared, becoming desperate over a battle he knew he couldn't win.

"Doesn't matter, you let her." Kowalski said as Skipper jumped him, but the smirking scientist dodged and ran out of HQ with the silent power he now held in his silver camera.

Skipper was right behind him.

* * *

_Cold steel lined the walls and concrete was beneath her and a certain segway riding dolphin._

_In her rugged grip a black revolver held many crimson stains, blood dripped off its dirty surface, forming small pools at her feet. _

_Her coat was torn in various places, exposing pieces of shining metal stained with remnants of a night's cruel work. _

_The androids eyes glinted from the heavy bloodshed she'd witnessed, feeling the power lie within her steely, cold fingertips. _

_She placed a broad grin upon her face, moonshine reflecting off parts of the bare metal that made up her face. _

_Blood was splattered along its surface._

_The dolphin beside her bent over and gingerly lifted her head with a flipper. _

'_You've done well, my pupil.'_

'_I did what I was created for Doctor.'_

_Blowhole chuckled and grinned in a vile, bloodlust filled state._

'_Yes, well done in deed Android 468. Your assassination attempt on that stupid team of pen-goo-ins in the San Francisco Zoo worked out just as planned.'_

_The otter smiled, feeling the proud and admired warmth emit from Blowhole's glowering form. _

'_Doctor, I'm always yours to serve.' _

_Android 468 knelt down on one knee, bowing her blood splattered and torn head to her master, giving the proclaimed dolphin genius her utmost loyalty. _

'_That's a promise.' She added, her voice just above a whisper. _

_Blowhole gave his creation a tiny smile before tilting his head and gently patting the top of her head with a flipper. _

_Android 468 tensed her iron muscles to his actions, at once feeling like a dog being rewarded for good behavior. _

_Her eyes snapped forward to face her creator, narrowing them for a brief second before she rose to her feet. _

'_You know very well Android 468 that I don't except promises.' His tone was irritating to the otter's ears, for it sounded sugar coated and dipped in syrupy mush. _

…_Once more reminding the otter that her status remained lower than her creator._

_Calming herself, the battered otter said respectively 'Doctor, I meant no disrespect-'_

'_Oh come now Android 468, I meant no judgment in my words. If a silly promise is what you wish to give to me then so be it. But my dear, I should already receive your obedience without question, there's no need for a meaningless promise. Now don't be foolish and let's move on from that little amusing bit of nonsense.' _

_Android 468 shifted nervously from foot to foot and said purposefully 'Doctor, I always keep my promises. Just so you know.' _

_Blowhole smiled lightly down at his creation, although his actions seemed forced as he said 'Yes well, let's patch you up for your next challenge.' _

'_Yes Doctor.' Android 468 grumbled, feeling as though she were being hastily disregarded for the respect and devotion she'd previously expressed to her one and only creator. _

_While the otter walked beside Blowhole's smirking and highly devious form, she inquired with a curious glance 'What shall be my next assignment Doctor?'_

'_Your next assignment? Well I think you're ready for the real thing.'_

'_The real thing Doctor?' _

_Blowhole stopped beside a metal door, harsh yellow light seeped through a thin crack down the center most portion of the door, reflecting off the mad dolphin's blind side._

'_Yes, the killing of my arch nemesis Skipper and his team. Know them well, study their ways, for those pen-goo-ins are quite a challenge compared to other teams of pen-goo-ins. But you can handle them, right Android 468.'_

_It wasn't a question, more of a demanding statement, giving no freedom of voice or opinion. _

…_A high demand that held invisible, yet even greater stakes._

_The otter sighed, unaware of the years upon years of torment and grief she'd have to undoubtedly face. _

_For now at least the otter remained in the present situation with the passing tense seconds slipping by, Blowhole becoming agitated for no usual, quick response to his ruling. _

_The future seemed to be something bleak and predictable in the otter's mind. Death and bloodshed, something she'd created and observed in her many years of training. _

_The passing night becoming a prime example of her skills as a successful assassin lay heavy within her wired mind, the thought of her target ultimately becoming the bitter love of her life never crossing her thoughts. _

_Lifting her weary head, the otter smiled and nodded. The heavy scent of metallic enveloping her in a much longed for way, captivating her senses. _

_Power hungry was her nature and the unmistakable lust for violence riddled her narrowed gaze. _

'_I've promised to be loyal to my creator, so yes I am_ _ready._'

**A/N: Is it just me or does Kowalski come across as being the biggest troll in this story? xD**

** Ok, so I need to point out that Marlene making her promise in the flashback is _not_ the reason why I named the title 'The Promise', although it kinda has something to do with it. ****You'll learn the full reason later on. ;)**

******So I became a super writer last night and I actually have this story almost completely finished. Next chapter Friday, so look out for it!**

**I hope this chapter wasn't to drawn out and all over the place...by the way, um...I see a lot of stories that say there's fluff in them or they're fluffy...could someone please tell me what that means? I have a basic idea, but I'm not entirely sure...an explanation would be very much appreciated...but please don't be mean. :)**

**Thank you all for reading and please review! :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Thank you to all the reviewers and readers following/reviewing this story! ^ ^**

**The reviews mean so much so again, thank you. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoM or its characters**_  
_

_He hates me._

_I ruined our friendship._

_Oh God…he hates me._

_What was I thinking…I've just destroyed our friendship. _

_He hates me. _

These where poor Marlene's thoughts as she still sat on the side of the grassy hill, unmoving. Her thoughts were swirling in a giant cauldron of distress, impending doom, and ultimately…terror.

…Although…she wasn't about to lie, that kiss had been awesome.

_But at what cost…_

She buried her head within her paws and groaned at the mess she'd created.

The distraught otter got up and then made her way home, all the while thinking about what a cruddy friend she must be for making Skipper feel so uncomfortable that he had to_ leave_.

A rumble jolted her out of her thoughts as she looked to the sky, surprised to see the once clear blue day turn black with dark ugly clouds.

"Yep. That just about adds up to how I feel…now." Marlene muttered.

A jagged streak of lightning lit up the black clouds and she gave a short scream of fright as ice cold rain smacked the ground.

She gave another scream out of pure rage before racing for home. Her feet pounded against the ground, spraying a light coating of muddy water up the sides of her legs.

Seeing the zoo's outer walls in the distance had her nearly crying and leaping with joy.

"Almost there…"

Marlene reached the zoo's metal gates and went through the penguins 'secret' entrance, her eyes dancing around her home.

The zoos interior was shielded with a foggy haze by the great expanse of rain being dumped upon it, the roar of water splashed down in large pools, drowning out most other noise.

In no time, the otter reached her home, glad but not glad she hadn't run into any penguins…for obvious reasons.

She shook her head and body of the rain and growled "Wow ok…could this day be any more horrible? Awe crap…I shouldn't have said that…why did I-"

"Android 468 are you there? And why is there a blanket covering your watch!"

Marlene's eyes grew wide as she raced forward and ripped the blanket off her watch. On the center of its screen Dr. Blowhole was fuming and glaring disapprovingly.

"Doctor, my apologies…um…w-why did you call? I-it's only been a day since we last talked and-"

"Silence Android 468, I have been doing some hard thinking these past hours and I've come up with the conclusion that _things _are moving too slow."

Marlene narrowed her eyes and growled slowly "What are you saying…?" while a lurking _knowing _of why he'd called rang throughout her mind.

"Oh come now Android 468, do I need to spell it out?!"

The otter found herself slowly sinking into a depressive state of mind. She knew…_exactly _what her creator was talking about, and she was refusing to believe it…not yet at least.

Her mind had completely drifted from the watch as she picked up the faintest sounds of deep hysterical screaming and cusses of all sorts flying through the pouring rain.

_Wait…_

She completely turned herself away from Dr. Blowhole and stared curiously in the direction of the penguin's home.

_Was that…was that Kowalski?_

"Excuse me! I don't mean to barge in on your little daydream Android 468, by I'm scheming here!"

"…what?" Marlene asked, facing Blowhole again in confusion.

"KILL. THE. PEN-GOO-INS!" he screamed.

"WHAT?" She cried again in a horrified panic.

"You heard me." He snapped. "You have forty-eight hours to do so before I feed you as scrap metal to our lovely little incinerator back home!"

"But…no!"

"Excuse me?" Blowhole spat in disbelieved rage, inching closer towards the screen.

Marlene grabbed her arm and laughed awkwardly.

"Well, what I was meaning was that…um…I need more time to gain their trust and-"

"You don't need any more time. I've given you four years at the Central Park Zoo, and nearly seven with me in California to train and prepare for this! You are ready, and there is no other way around it."

"But Doctor-"

"Do you still have your weapons?"

"Yes…"

"Your skills?"

"…Yes…"

"Then what's the problem here. You are clearly capable, so no more of your silly _reasoning's_ for not being ready. Report back to me as soon as it is done…are we clear?"

Marlene bit her bottom lip and glared at the floor. How could she have been so stupid to begin with? Skipper was her enemy, and he had to remain that way. No matter how untrue those words were to the otter, Dr. Blowhole was right on one thing.

She was built to kill.

And that was something, that no matter how much she had come to hate it, she couldn't overcome. Every wire, every cord, every piece of metal, was constructed for the sole purpose of committing Blowholes dirty deed.

Marlene reached underneath her bed and pressed a button to reveal a hidden shelf just above her bed. She reached inside and felt cool metal that once she touched, she'd strangely missed. Gripping the metal, Marlene pulled out a near black and loaded revolver.

She delicately stroked the top of her gun and said as clear as she could to her looming master "Doctor, the murder of Kowalski, Rico, Private, and…Skipper will be committed within the requested forty-eight hours…"

"I promise." She added dryly, feeling unmistakably foolish, tortured, horrible, and just about everything else as far away from happy as one would feel in having to oblige to murder.

Marlene hoped and prayed Blowhole couldn't see how she was shaking, or how she'd refused to even look at him.

The dolphin snorted in slight amusement and pondered with her words.

"Promises. Ridiculous whims nothing short of worthless…as _you _shall be if you don't pull your act together and take your stupid head out of the clouds."

Marlene glared at the floor before narrowing her gaze and raising her head. Blowhole smirked at the fiery look he'd spawned within her hazel eyes.

"_I keep my promises._" She stated with a hint of a snarl. "And this one…is no exception."

"Good." The dolphin stated.

The screen then went blank as Blowhole disconnected himself from the quivering otter.

Marlene squeezed her eyes shut and tightly grasped the watch in her paw, the other holding the loaded revolver.

She stumbled, feeling her balance crumble away and her thoughts scrambling for an explanation as the full realization of what she'd have to do smack her square in the face.

Her breathing was almost uncontrollable and she knew if she could she would have been crying.

The otter's body was leaning heavily against the stone cave walls. She wished to scream in frustration, let some emotion out…but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't figure out how to express her feelings.

She pounded the wall in bitter defeat.

Her world was breaking, only a sliver remained of her precious sanity as she opened her eyes.

The faintest of noises suddenly grabbed her attention.

She turned, facing the entrance to her home.

With the revolver still in her paws and the watch resting now on her bed, Marlene suddenly found herself confronting Skipper.

* * *

Somewhere not too far away, Blowhole stared at his large blank screen in thought.

He knew his creation would pull through.

After all, she was built for this moment…so what could possibly interfere with his plans?

The dolphin snorted irritably while red crustaceans moved around his thought induced body.

Oh how he knew…

How Android 468 had come to seemingly grow fond of his nemesis. He wasn't stupid. He knew from the beginning, and she couldn't hide it. No matter how hard she tried, it never passed without notice of the evil dolphin.

Blowhole rolled his one working eye and spat in annoyance.

"She was never built to love, nor could she ever." He mumbled to himself.

"She'll do it." He reassured himself with a small, curt nod.

He spun around on his segway and glided out of the room, an unexpected and slightly worried expression printed on his face.

No matter how much he tried to reassure himself that everything would fall into place…

…For whatever reason, he suddenly couldn't get the aggressive and pained look that had existed only briefly in his creations eyes when they'd talked.

**A/N: I feel this was rushed...but I wasn't really sure how else to portray this part of the story...**

**And Marlene mentioning another promise and how she keeps them is _still_ not the reason behind the title, although like the last chapter, it has something to do with it. Just thought I should mention that.**

**Next chapter Monday! **

**Thanks for reading and please review! :) **


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! ^_^**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed/are reading! I love every single review so again, thank you. :) **

**Important notice at end of chap. (well I consider it important) ^ ^'  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoM or its characters**

Skipper leaped out of the hatch after Kowalski, his eyes glued to his strategist.

The starting rain was soft at first, but very quickly turned into a downpour. A streak of lightning jetted across the blackened sky as Skipper stood in front of his second in command.

"Kowalski! You better give me the damn camera, and that's an order!"

Rain slid down Kowalski's lean form, his feathers were slick from its touch as he held the camera close to his now quivering chest. He was trying to shield the silver, shining evidence in his flippers from the blinding rain and Skipper while the water enveloped the two of them.

At Skipper's words he backed away, not sure whether he should listen to his commanding officer or stay strong and hold his ground.

So instead, the smart avian decided to result to reasoning.

"Skipper!"

He had to shout in order to be heard over the drumming rain.

"Why don't you just admit that I'm right and you love her!"

"_Never!_" Skipper snapped, his head shaking a curt yet violent no.

Kowalski bit his tongue a little in thought.

If only he could just break through his superior's hard shell…then maybe…just maybe he and his long-time friend could have a reasonable conversation without the fear of one (Skipper) attacking the other.

Kowalski exhaled a long, heavy sigh before saying in a much calmer demeanor.

"You no Skipper…its ok to love her…I mean…who wouldn't?"

The enraged captain had momentarily relaxed his tense fighting stance and was listening to his lieutenant with steady yet still a bit hostile interest.

Kowalski had completely relaxed himself, posing no threat as he took a small step toward his listening captain.

"We know you love her Skipper, and it's perfectly ok if you do."

Rain poured in lazy heaps around Skippers form; the commander lowered his flippers and stared at the slickened concrete beneath his feet in deep thought. Kowalski gave his leader a reassuring smile as he noticed Skippers hardened face soften and ultimately lose its defensive, battle ready exterior.

Skipper gave a deep, meaningful sigh while rain droplets poured down his feathers to drip off his beak and flippers.

Where he stood he sat, his flat head was cradled within his flippers as a low, disgruntled moan escaped his beak.

Kowalski took a few cautious steps forward before standing beside his leader and best friend, a sympathetic flipper was then placed softly to his leader's shoulder.

"It's ok to love, Skipper. It's a natural and very strange, complex emotion that I _really_ can't describe in further detail."

Skipper raised his head and found his eyes resting on Marlene's cave-like home. He smiled, for it seemed like he was always gazing to her home for no apparent reason.

"But if there's one thing I'm sure of my friend-"Kowalski met his leader's sight of Marlene's habitat and smiled kindly. "-is that what you're feeling is perfectly normal…and ugh…you're not alone."

Skipper chuckled and stood with his back to his lieutenant. The tense atmosphere that had once existed around them had vanished into thin air.

"Thanks Kowalski, I feel strangely better."

Said mentioned avian smiled proudly at his complimented speech and was about to say something more when Skipper jabbed his strategist in the ribs, resulting in Kowalski falling over with a pained grunt.

Within a second, the flat headed leader had then grabbed the camera from Kowalski's stunned flippers and tossed it into their surrounding pool.

Skipper smirked at his work as Kowalski raced forward in a feeble attempt to save his precious camera.

"_NO!_ _DAMN IT!_ WHY WOULD YOU PULL SUCH A _CHEAP_ MOVE LIKE THAT!"

Kowalski's incredibly loud and suddenly very colorful rant continued, and it wasn't until Skipper slapped him that he calmed down.

"Geez Kowalski, It's just a camera...we'll get you a new one."

The captain had his flippers behind his back and was staring idly in Marlene's direction, the once heavy rain diminishing. It became nothing more than a fine, lazy mist showering the zoo with a normal hazy stream of water.

"It wasn't about the camera…it was what was _in_ the camera…" Kowalski snarled with venom enlaced in his tone.

But when Kowalski glanced up to his leader he quickly came to realize said avian was paying little to no attention to him. Clearly being disregarded, the lieutenant sighed in frustration before saying with a heavy, irritated tone.

"Why don't you just go talk to her?"

"I…I don't think I can." Skipper replied hesitantly.

"Just do it, I can guarantee you'll feel better if you do." Kowalski snorted before glancing in the direction of his drowned camera. He gave a loud sniff before wiping a few tears away, which Skipper thankfully ignored.

The commander twisted his face nervously in thought, clearly musing over the idea of paying the love of his life a visit.

Well, he guessed they _did_ need to talk…about earlier.

…About what had happened…and he did so wish to apologize to his love for just leaving during that blissfully shocking moment.

He also…needed to know if the sparks he'd felt weren't just one sided.

_If she loved him too. _

Skipper nodded curtly and made to leap out of his home, but not before grabbing Kowalski and pulling him into a crushing, awkward man hug.

"Thank you." He whispered sincerely.

"Y-you're welcome." Kowalski gasped while his lungs were being crushed.

Skipper chuckled and broke away with Kowalski saluting him.

"You'll do fine." the strategist said with a reassuring grin.

"I hope you're right." Skipper mumbled and then slid out of his home to Marlene, hoping she'd be there.

**Important Note: I'm having a lot of trouble finishing the next chapter, which is one of the most _important_ chapters of the story, filled with action and _possible_ character death (I'm not giving anything away, so I _could_ be lying about the _possible_ death ;)...I will try to have it out by Friday...but it might be Saturday...hopefully not any later.  
**

**A/N: Gawd! I once again apologize if this chap. felt rushed. I'm trying not to rush, but I want to finish this and move on to another story called 'Deceptions Curse.' Although I want to finish this before I move on to another story.**

**Summary's in my profile.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**YAY! I finally have this chapter completed! :D**

**Thank you to all of you who have reviewed/ are reading this story! I love every review so thank you so much! :) **

**I'm so sorry that this took forever, but I wanted it to be as good as I could make it. I'm kind of a perfectionist when it come's to writing, and also since I have school, I've had little to no time to write at the moment.**

**Plus I rewrote this about two different times before I finally thought it was right. Oh and I'm just keeping everything rated T, keeps things simple. But be warned, there is blood in the next few chapters. **

**Disclamier: I don't own PoM, just this idea that I had that started from a simple dream. xD**

* * *

Marlene's hazel colored irises met that of Skipper's empty yet hardened expression.

That one look, that one single moment of gazing into each other's eyes, and Marlene could see it all.

The betrayal, shock, hate and utter epitome of a feeling of nothingness deeply reflect off the flat-headed penguin's hardened blue eyes.

Her breathing increased with each tense, yet all the more awkwardly passing seconds.

With apprehension cording its way through every fiber of her iron being, Marlene could sense the impending breaking of the heavy silence that had befallen them.

What little movement she did make was to grasp her revolver ever tighter within her strong grip, a sense of darkness slowly began to creep its ugly way through her very core.

She watched in horrified amazement as before her eyes, tears of grief stricken denial flowed down Skipper's very cheeks, dripping off and forming a mingling pool of rain and salty tears at his feet.

Marlene blinked slowly, a type of dreaded…yet somewhat longing blackness initiated itself, spreading from her core to her limbs, almost in a way, hampering her own ability to move.

Her reflexes grew sharp and her mind dimmed within those few moments. Instincts of death and gore deeply ingrained from the very beginning of her start in life festered itself into something like a nightmare. Monstrous and undoubtedly sinister with no known end was the evil intent brimming within the last fragments of her seemingly sane, yet weathered mind. The bridge holding her between what she'd carefully avoided, and what she'd been ultimately seeking began to fall away…leaving nothing but a deep chasm to form in its wake.

…A chasm overflowing with confusion, fear…and hatred.

Full of bitter and unwanted spite, Marlene narrowed her eyes…already beginning to give in to her pre-registered instincts.

"You don't have to do this…"

Marlene, whose eyes had drifted towards the near black revolver in her paws, looked up upon hearing Skipper's voice.

His tone was brittle, as if it would shatter at any point in time.

She made no reply; instead, a scowl etched itself along the length of her face, its features scrunching into one of someone who appeared to be fighting their own mental demons.

Marlene lifted her weary head, newly awakened resentment suddenly breaking through her darkened interior.

"You know…don't you…" she spat in a voice she nor Skipper recognized.

Skipper blinked in one of slight confusion before his flippers suddenly balled themselves into tight fists.

"I _know_ I've apparently been played for a fool…"

Without waiting for a reply, Skipper made a threatening, if not risky step toward Marlene, danger sparking through his eyes.

"…Anything _else_ you'd like to tell me _dollface._"

At hearing the nickname given to her the day she'd arrived, Marlene shivered violently at how eerily repulsive Skipper's affectionate but icy tone had been.

"Nothing I don't regret." Marlene snapped with a hint of hesitation ringing from her voice…but it was too late for the otter to cover up her enormous mistake. Skipper had caught the hesitation…he'd caught the _fear_ being hidden away by so much darkness…and maybe…just maybe…he could bring the old Marlene back.

At the same moment that Skipper opened his beak, Marlene raised her gun level with her target's chest.

"Now look." Skipper said in a stern, commanding voice.

"I can…provide a way out."

His voice had unexpectedly softened…and calmed…despite the ever weary look of anger and frustration mounted upon his face.

With the gun still raised and posed to fire, Marlene let her innate curiosity take a hold of her slowly corroding mind, letting for a moment the weak side of her thoughts come forward.

_You could stop…everything…you don't have to do this…_she thought, but immediately after thinking this she let the dark back in…she let it consume her very self…she let her pre-driven instincts of violence and bloodshed win.

As hard as it was to say it, she growled "I don't believe you" before pushing back down the life of a much calmer…much simpler Marlene.

"Would you even give me the chance…?" Skipper spoke tenaciously, an underlying hint of bile clinging to his last words.

Thinking beyond reason, Marlene shook her head in one swift, curt movement.

"I'm sorry Skipper." She whispered with resentment threading its way through every forced out word.

Willing herself for the rise of non-existent tears to begin pouring down her face, Marlene had made up her desolate mind through the mentally brutal war between her heaven and hell angels.

She'd made a promise…one that she'd swore she'd keep…even if it meant doing the unthinkable.

Even if it meant killing the one who mattered most to her wired heart, she had to do it…she had to do it all for the sake of a damn promise.

But what would befall her heavily burdened and troubled mind, would only give her something greater in return…for in those last few moments of indecision…before she'd made up her mind…she herself had made a simple, yet all the more bloody pledge.

A promise she'd never forget…a promise she'd see through to the end…a promise that no matter how long it would take, she'd make sure it was dually rendered, completing her task, and setting her mind free.

* * *

Skipper's feelings could only be described of one who'd within less than a minute…had had one's heart ripped out from their chest and smothered beneath a black sea of lies and treachery.

When he'd come to hear the voice of his arch enemy talking with Marlene of murder to him and his fellow comrades was nothing short of a shock to his once blissfully delighted mind.

He'd wanted to apologize for everything he'd done…he'd wanted to make things right…he wanted to tell the otter that stood before him with a gun in her paw and twisted glint of blood lust gleaming in her pretty eyes that he'd loved her.

Not loved…love, for he still did love the one who'd outright promised his enemy the execution of him and his team.

With rain dripping off his feathers, Skipper posed in his fighting stance, a hard line forming along his beak.

Yes, he'd still love her till the end, but if there was _one_ thing the flat-headed commander wouldn't allow to transpire within the following events, was the complete and utter destruction of his fellow brothers in black and white.

* * *

With a frightening growl rising from her very throat, Marlene dashed forward in lightening speed, ramming into Skipper much faster than he'd anticipated.

They collided heavily against one another and before the flat-headed leader had time to counter-attack, Marlene raised her revolver and brought it down on Skipper's exposed head, brutally pistol whipping the side of the stunned commander's skull.

Her senses of right and wrong had vanished.

The blood now pooling from Skipper's head sent a chill of longed for excitement down the otter's rigid back. The growl penetrating from her throat turned into something more on the lines of a snarl, her teeth glimpsed white from beneath a psychotic induced smile.

The scent of metallic bathed heavily in her wake, and for a precious moment, she became lost within its harsh odor.

This gave Skipper the moment he needed. Quickly, and with one eye shut from the heavy blow to the side of his agony filled cranium, the leader swept his legs under Marlene's feet and knocked her down in one graceful movement.

Standing in the time it took the surprised Marlene to fall, he kicked her revolver away.

With a flipper to his throbbing head, Skipper dashed for the weapon he'd kicked away, desperation clinging to his aching body.

Right as he was about to grab the revolver, Marlene jumped him from behind, causing the two to fall with Marlene on top of Skipper.

Marlene used the opportunity to slam the commander's head painfully into the ground. Blood sprayed in her face while Skipper cried out in agony.

The otter then grabbed Skipper and somersaulted with him beneath her, flinging him into the grey cave walls of her home.

As Skipper collided with the wall, all breath left his lungs in one brief gasp.

He slid to the floor, stunned and wheezing with blood streaming down his head.

Coughing, Skipper dizzyingly hopped to his feet and stumbled forward, his vision blurred as before his eyes everything seemed to multiply.

His feathers were ruffled and matted with red fluid as he frantically searched for his assassin.

Breathing heavily, Skipper grunted "Where-"before he was kicked sharply in the square of his back.

"Oh Skipper…come on now, _I know_ you're a better fighter than this." Marlene taunted from behind him.

On the ground again, Skipper could feel his sense of perception deceiving him.

The blood loss was making him woozy, and all the meanwhile enraged for not even being able to land a hit on the otter.

Gritting his beak from the pain, Skipper leaped to his feet and made a blind attempt to strike at his opponent.

Success.

His flipper contacted the side of Marlene's jaw with a powerful vengeance behind the heavy blow. A sickening crack met both Skipper's ear holes and Marlene's ears.

The otter cried out in disbelieving shock and stumbled back, her head rattling from the impact with Skipper's flipper.

But what surprised Marlene the most was how her cry of shock had been immensely dwarfed by Skipper's scream of agony.

In a haze, Marlene blinked open her eyes to see the flat headed leader clutching his flipper.

Seething in pain and misery, Skipper had severely broken his flipper against Marlene's metal jaw with the powerful hit he'd delivered.

In confusion, Skipper stared up at the otter who besides shaking her head to clear the newly awakened dizziness, appeared to be unaffected by the most gruesomely enraged punch he'd ever given to any of his previous attackers.

Gasping, Skipper couldn't move his flipper without any sort of terrible pain. Quickly, the commander searched in vain for anything to protect himself with.

Anything…anything would do…for in those few seconds, Skipper knew he would need something else to fight with.

His flippers weren't going to cut it, and for the very life of him he couldn't explain how Marlene was pretty much alright.

Their eyes met briefly, and all of what Skipper saw was heart wrenching. What he saw was nothing…absolutely…nothing.

Her gaze was empty, meaningless, and robotic.

It sent chills up the commander's spine as Marlene motioned slowly towards him with the revolver back in her paws.

He figured with a dread filled heart that at some point during their scuffle she's grabbed it…but why she hadn't used it yet surprised him.

_Maybe…maybe she's holding back _he thought with a curious glint edging his narrowed eyes.

Backing up as far as he could possibly go, Skipper fell back into Marlene's bed.

"Please Marlene…I know this isn't you-" he whispered, but immediately was cut off by the otter chuckling hauntingly. The broken piece of metal that made up her jaw moved in a sickening manner, disbelieving Skipper to the extreme that he'd become outright mortified by what he was seeing.

"Oh Skip', cu' t'e 'ullshi'" Marlene snapped in a hard to comprehend voice with a half-smile, the metal grating against the broken pieces in her jaw created a repulsively horrid sound to the commander's ear holes.

With his beak firmly clamped shut against the noise, Skipper suddenly had realization smack him over his bloodied head.

"Oh my God…" he breathed, feeling the hardened muscles in his body tense involuntarily with the reality of something vague scratching its way up the deepest fathoms of his mind.

…_Impossible_ he thought with his heart raging against his chest. Even through his now evident denial, Skipper knew it was true.

_It had to be true…_

Even though it was hard to believe for him, the evidence was all too clear. What with her overly ridiculous tolerance to pain, and her apparently awakened fighting abilities, the obvious was becoming almost too much for the military officer to accept.

With Skipper's head reeling, the otter lowered hers, stopping within a few feet of her bed. Even though she had made up her mind, the good conscious side of her was still trying to feverishly break through. This caused a wild mix of pandemonium to suddenly erupt within her metal skull.

It was killing her…the two sides of her oneself clashing together and fighting aggressively for dominance.

All the mental drama within herself was causing the otter to lose her focus for a few seconds, a few moments that Skipper instantly recognized as one to his benefit.

The heavily breathing and very muddled commanding officer used his attentive eyes to scrutinize the space he was trapped within, and as if on cue, Skipper spotted the open shelf above Marlene's bed. Without hesitation Skipper reached inside, at first expecting nothing, but then he felt the hard, smooth handle of an item he just hoped was something he could protect himself with.

Marlene had lost her focus…she had been fighting to keep the simple Marlene dormant within her sub conscious for those seconds, and within them, she hadn't fully realized it when Skipper pulled a silver long sword from the weapons stash she had completely forgotten was still open.

Gasping, Marlene barely dodged the blades tip as it was aimed for her chest. The sharpened sword hit the ground with a loud bang as Skipper struggled to control the long weapon in one flipper.

Marlene rolled to the side when Skipper used his one working appendage to lift the sword and bring it down again in a desperate attempt to slay the very robotic life he still loved.

Yes…through all the hell he was experiencing, the weakening Skipper loved the android otter, although masked by the dark reality of what he knew he had to accomplish, he still, and always would, cherish the one who was proving herself loyal to his arch nemesis.

Trying to move out from beneath her inferior position, Marlene had completely forgotten of the black revolver within her paws. Nearly smacking herself, the second she lifted the bullet heavy gun, Skipper managed to swiftly slash at Marlene's neck.

Skin and fur tore away, shocking Marlene with a violent flinch. She discharged her weapon, missing Skipper's head by a long shot. But the loud noise still nearly deafened both otter and penguin.

A few bright sparks soared from the open mess of exposed wires and lean metal of the circuits within her neck.

Her breathing escalated rapidly as the otter touched the sparking mess within her paws, feeling the electricity bounce off the tips of her paws.

Growling an electrified and grinding noise from her very throat, Marlene watched as Skipper quickly slashed at her face. Sight was lost within her left eye in which she fell back from the force, all the while spitting out a rising fluid coming from her bare throat.

Skipper grimaced as a pitch black fluid he couldn't recognize poured from the jutted metal and open wires of her throat. The same thick liquid flowed down her face where he'd slashed at her eyes.

Half-blinded, Marlene felt the black substance dribble from her mouth as it became increasingly hard to move her head.

Skipper made another swift move to slice through her other eye, but with a snarl that exposed her blackened teeth, Marlene caught the iron blade within her rock solid paws.

The rain outside had picked up with the heavy drumming beating recklessly against the ground, filling the inside of the cave with Mother Nature's heavily releasing burden.

Skipper could do little but try to keep a hold of his only defense as Marlene yanked the end of the sword away from him and threw it against the wall behind her with so much force, that cracks appeared within the cement structure and the weapon instantly broke apart.

"You're ou' a op'ion' Skip'" she gurgled with a struggling voice through the rising fluid towards the listlessly gazing Skipper.

Raising her revolver for what she hoped would be the final time; she noticed something enter the exhausted and pained commander's face. It was something she'd never seen before…something that nearly made her want to shed real tears with the simple Marlene clawing her way to the surface.

She saw a strange mix of determination, courage, and love emanate from her target's face as a few weakened tears slid down his cheeks.

Then to her amazement, Skipper chuckled lightly, as if this were all some plausibly effortless game the two were playing.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered, his tone breaking through his normally hardened exterior.

Lifting her black streaked head, Marlene aimed her gun for Skipper, nearly choking at what was coming.

He continued, with his feet giving way beneath him, "I'm so…so sorry…Private…Kowalski…Rico…"

He then raised his scarlet head and stared into Marlene's blistering single operating eye.

"…And…well…I've failed you Marlene." He breathed with a mild shake of his somber head.

Confused beyond all belief, the dormant and heavily shadowed Marlene slightly broke through by refusing to watch as the blood lust filled Marlene put more pressure on the trigger. She halted her breath as her eyes remained firmly shut, her teeth grinded together with the black substance now steadily flowing from her blackened lips.

In a rough, yet somehow gentle and meaningful tone, Skipper rasped "and well…I will always love you dollface" as Marlene pulled the cold metal of the trigger.

The words that had left her target's beak calmly met Marlene's ears in which she choked out something that could only be described as a sob, a sob with no tears.

The splitting of her metal heart reaching her ears was a pitiful sound, one she wished she could erase from her memory with as much sincerity as she moved quickly around the forming pool of rancid blood.

It stuck to the bottom of her feet and trailed behind her as she went inside her weapons stash and pulled out a short knife with a gleaming iron handle. The blade was as black as night when she rested it beneath her quivering form. It was all she could do to keep herself together as she found a few bullets and re-loaded her blood splattered revolver.

Clicking it back into place, she carefully avoided the scene below her line of vision and walked out into the pouring rain, her breath crisp as the water gushed down her blood red and blackened pelt.

**A/N: So who else feels really bad for Marlene? Or are you angry at her instead for killing Skipper?...Or...no...no way...but what if...what if by chance...Skipper really isn't dead...?...There's about 2-3 more chapters left, so, if you're still following even after all the waiting, stay tuned for the last little bits to come. ;)**

**I really do hope this chapter turned out alright without too many cliches or it being too rushed. **

**Oh, and I think, despite my lack of time for writing, I'm going to finish this story by the end of the month/ beginning of next month, and 'Deception's Curse' is not going to be my next story...my Halloween fic 'Fear' is. Summary in profile. **

**So thanks for reading, and please review to tell me what you thought! :) **


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! **

**Thank you to those who reviewed/are reading(and to all you patient people out there!) I love every review and you all really inspire me to keep writing, so again, thank you all soooo much! :)**

**Not much to say...so on with the story! :D**

**I _Completely_ _forgot_ to mention a warning that there is some heavy language near the end of the chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoM or its characters**

* * *

The rain splashed onto her torn face, washing away the black liquid that was seeping from the open wound to her left eye and neck.

But there was no pain, only the annoying fact that she was half-blinded and that it had grown hard to move her head settle within her crumbling thoughts.

Although, in a way, it cruelly taunted her, the strange concoction of curiously wondering what pain would feel like, along with the sweet relief that she didn't need to endure it briefly flow through her conscious thoughts. A half smile delicately formed along her lips while the drumming beat of the rain collided against the dull grey cement beneath her feet.

Blinking her one seeing eye slowly, Marlene breathed in the sweet and gentle scent of the pouring rain, feeling every now and then a spark of electricity shoot out from her exposed neck. The sparks randomly shot forward and dissipated just as quickly as they'd appeared against the rain droplets.

With her head reaching out towards the black skies above her, the addictively insane and mentally broken otter could only guess that it was the beginning stages of evening. The heavy clouds above her blocked all of the sky, but she judged by the encroaching dark shadows and distant, yet brightly shimmering Manhattan lights of the day's closure.

Out of the corner of her eye, a streak of pale yellow lightening caught her attention, sending a rippling sensation to glide down the length of her back.

With a slight twitch and shake of her drenched head, Marlene ignored the booming thunder that followed and brought her tightly clenched revolver up to her sight. Grimacing against a cold and stormy wind, the otter re-checked at just how many bullets were in her weapon of choice, despite having re-loaded the firearm back in her cave.

Momentarily disgusted with herself, Marlene whispered hoarsely "procrastinating are we?" before clicking the gun back into its original place, her paws shaking. Specks of blood still remained on the side of the gun, her body quivering from the horrific yet enticing memory of pulling its deadly trigger…

She abruptly shook her rigid head, nearly causing her stiffened neck to lock up. But she didn't care all too much, for the bitterly sweet and final words of Skipper were ringing throughout her distraught mind, nearly causing her to scream in an unbelievable amount of psychological hurt.

Dropping her revolver, she let it lie there; at that moment hating its touch for it only caused her more and more pain with each passing second.

She then buried her face in her paws, moaning in disbelief at what she'd done…and what she still had to do.

The broken pieces of her jaw grinded together as a half-gurgling noise rose from her throat and formed the beginning traces of words. They spilled out over her lips in something on the lines of a scream, her voice cracking with the effort of just speaking.

"STO' THIS _RI'HT NOW!_"

In her moment of grieving, Marlene became startled as her own paw came up and smacked the side of her face. As she fell in stunned amazement from her own self inflicted punishment, the otter snarled too know one in particular "ge' a hol' of you'sel'!"

Quickly standing, the chiming but trembling voice of the loving side of Marlene breathed "bu'…bu' how am I _suppos'_ to reac'… w'en he…"

Turning her now enraged head away, the side of her that had only been recently brought to the surface spat with a wicked smile "…dea', I kno'…bu' le' us no' fo'ge' who _let_ me kill him."

She forced her voice to contort painfully against the ears with a scratchy, metallic under tone. Each word she uttered either took on a frighteningly dark monotone or it breathed into a light, airy noise.

Her own harshly spoken words ultimately confused herself.

Tilting her head to the ground, Marlene replied in a strained whisper "you an' I both know I nev'r wan'ed _any _of this to happen. You'e no'hing but a sick and twis'ed…_basta'd_…"

Marlene fell to her knees, snarling in cold venom "_sick _and _twis'ed_, _sick_ and _twis'ed_, _sick_…_and_ _twis'ed_…"

Something on the lines of an amused chuckle escaped her lips as Marlene sneered with a fiery glow in her single eye "oh bu'…_Ma'lene _you see, _you_ free' me. _You _le' me win, an' yes, I may be the one who pulle' the trig', but…whe'e were _you_ when Skip' tol' me he love' us."

Almost immediately, Marlene leapt to her feet and snapped wildly, her single eye glowing with hostility "don' you _dare_ say he love' us, 'cause he wou' never love so'eone as cruel an' hear'less as _you_."

"Tha' may be true…bu' if you love' him, then why didn' you sto' me?"

That once angry and bitterly displaced tone had risen to barely above a whisper, in which silence was followed, ringing throughout Marlene's ears.

"No answer…? How sad…terri'le even…t'en I g'ess this means _I'm_ stron'er than you."

Marlene flinched from her own dark tone of voice and simply grumbled in response before picking back up her revolver.

"You may be stron'er…but we both know wha' is ul'imately comin', whether you like it or no'."

A light snort was followed by Marlene slashing the air in front of her with the blade of her once forgotten knife, watching the half a millisecond where she had disturbed the rhythmic descent of the rain.

A slight scowl followed as she grunted in a low, frustrated tone, her mind reeling from the unbearable yet simple thought of a certain pledge she had promised herself.

…Something that would seem impossible, but at the same time, would be so _easy_ when the time was right.

"Indeed." she muttered, feeling the pressure to finish her current task fall unfairly upon her blistering mind.

* * *

Rounding a corner, Marlene shook her stiffened neck and trudged forward, the revolver and knife hanging limply within her paws.

The android stopped, for within her sickened view, the home of the penguin's came into sight, nearly taking her strained breath away. Now breathing in a quick, nervous rhythm, she moved forward in a cat-like demeanor, staying hidden, and completely invisible to the naked eye. Her mind was focused, yet still, it sank further into a deeper and undeniable state of depression.

"It'll be quick." She whispered in a reassuring tone. "Ye'…quick…"

As Marlene came within a few steps of the black iron bars of the rest of her targets habitat, she flinched when her paw brushed up against its pitch black icy surface. She trembled from the small shock it had sent through her core, protesting against her wiring, and creating small, involuntary spasms in her legs and feet, willing her to flee.

For it was almost like the very place itself were rejecting her, simply knowing and understanding why she was there, and blindly it refused to offer her any sort of mercy within its sanctity.

Filled to the brim with hundreds upon hundreds of memories was the secret of the penguins HQ that now, Marlene was denied access to.

She sniffed, and lowered her tight head, briefly remembering all the times she'd jumped onto the concrete ice floe unannounced, and how no one honestly cared, despite Skipper's reprimanding…

_Skipper…_she inadvertently thought, suddenly hating herself for remembering those happy, carefree times.

Grinding her teeth together and squeezing her eyes tightly shut was all she could do against each painfully joyous memory.

"I can't do it…" she whispered, releasing her paw of her revolver, but clinging even more so to her knife.

Thinking of how killing Skipper had to of been enough for her deranged creator, Marlene was preparing to turn away and leave when suddenly, and very much unexpected, something hard pounded into the back of her metal skull, in which she could feel the skin tear, and metal bend. Blanking out from this startling event, and unsure of what just happened, Marlene twitched violently.

The sadness once incarcerating her every breath had completely vanished in the next few transpiring seconds. Fury was awakened within her soaked form, and she slowly turned her head, piercing the encroaching darkness with a single, infuriated eye and breathless, robotic snarl.

Lowering her sparking head, Marlene blinked a few times to fully understand what she was seeing. Her already damaged vision was now becoming even more out of focus…

…But even so, it didn't take her too long to recognize a certain tall, lean penguin.

* * *

In Kowalski's flippers, the tall bird had a now shattered whacking stick, its splintered end crumbling away into surrounding grimy puddles.

The unconscionable amount of anger the genius was now facing was almost too much for him to bear. His muscles were tense, and bits of wood were embedded into his flippers and upper body, causing little streams of blood to glide smoothly down the feathered surface of his rigid form.

Uncaring to the stinging pain, Kowalski whispered in a typical cliché, his voice tight and barely his in the now tense atmosphere.

"How could you…"

He stared into the otter's angry face, noticing a brief look of confusion wash over its surface, but almost immediately it was shielded, and gone from her entirely.

A small and light whimper escaped her lips as she replied "I don't-"

Kowalski cocked his round head slightly and spat in a heavily delivered taunt "Marlene…or if that's _even_ your real name…we know everything…_I_ know everything. So don't you _dare_ pull some ignorant, half-assed bullshit on me you psycho _bitch_."

The bewildered look Marlene was giving him sent a forced smile upon his beak as he could practically _feel_ the nerves he'd surely scorched.

Unbeknownst to Marlene, earlier, when Skipper had been fighting for his very life, the lieutenant had been restless, worried even, and he couldn't explain it.

What had Skipper taught him, to listen to his gut, not his mind?

Well the scientist had had one of those rare moments for him where he knew; somewhere within his 'gut', that something was amiss.

He'd told the rest of his teammates about it, wanting (for once) direction on the matter at flipper…and that's when Private mentioned Skipper had been gone an awfully long time at Marlene's.

So he'd gone solo, and before he'd reached the otter's home, expecting nothing more than just a big misunderstanding, he'd heard the fatal shot ring throughout his ear holes as clear as within his startled gaze, he'd seen Marlene exit her home, blood splattered onto her sickly face.

Unsure of what to do at that moment, he realized within a few seconds that Skipper, his leader…his friend…must have been killed by the otter…but why?

His head pounding, Kowalski had returned back home, the grief suddenly blinded by rage, and had instructed his questioning team that they were under attack, and from there, he'd formed a hasty plan…

* * *

Marlene stared in disbelief at the lieutenant within her unfocused sight, unsure how it was even possible that he could have known _everything_…unless…

The otter smirked then, whispering inaudibly "un'ess he's bluffin'…"

Lifting her chin, Marlene let the shock of Kowalski's appearance subside in order to raise her voice above the rains merciless pounding.

"I ho'e you reali'e, _dear Ko'alski_, tha' you' made my job _so_ mu'h easier."

Kowalski narrowed his eyes while trying to comprehend her cracked, broken tone before retorting with a slight sneer "bring it. Hit me with everything you've got."

The android felt another spark cascade from her exposed throat before she took a menacing step forward, her only focus on the shifting body of Kowalski, and foolishly disregarding the gun she'd let drop in the puddles surrounding the penguins home.

As she readjusted the handle of the knife within her grasp, Kowalski smiled, exclaiming then with an air of smugness "and I hope _you_ realize, _dear Marlene_, that you've made my job all the more simple as well!"

Marlene was momentarily confused as Kowalski yelled "now Rico!"

**A/N: T****hank you for being so patient with how long it took me to update and I really hope you all enjoyed reading the chapter! ^ ^**

**Oh and please review to tell me what you thought! :)**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone, and I hope you all had a great holiday! :) **

**So...I feel so horrible right now, with how late it takes me to update, and I feel terrible about it.**** But I've had no inspiration for this story, and it kind of came to a grinding halt for a while (which is weirdly how this story is operating, major inspiration then it dies, major inspiration than it dies...yeah, you get it.)...plus I just have had no time to write in general...just bits and pieces here and there with how my life is for the moment... **

**So anyway, thank you to all who are still reviewing and/or reading...despite insanely late updates and reading my excuses, plus the 'I think this is when I'm going to have the next chapter/story done speech.' Not giving those anymore. XD **

**I hope this chapter is ok...and it hopefully will answer a few questions...or unfortunately create some more.**

**Disclaimer: fact, I don't own PoM **

Marlene gave a light roll of her one working eye and smirked before quickly sidestepping as a mass of netting appeared out of nowhere, gliding past her form and instead of capturing her, the thickly corded rope flew into the dumbstruck Kowalski.

The heavy pounding of feet reached her ears as she turned, just barely missing Rico's oncoming attack.

Silver flashed within her view while Rico heavily stumbled and nearly fell, unprepared to miss.

The maniac was wielding an iron crowbar within his tight grasp, and his eyes were narrowed against the pouring rain when in one graceful twist, the large bird spun around on a single foot, his timing perfect, his mind focused.

Marlene jumped back and splashed into a puddle before re-adjusting the cold handle of the knife within her grip; the slanted rain pounded mercilessly against her battered form.

Rico growled with his Mohawk slicked back against the rain before he charged forward; Kowalski was in the background trying to free himself of the mass of heavy netting.

Marlene remained completely still as Rico drew nearer, a faint smile pressed along her lips.

When Rico drew within striking distance of Marlene's stiffened form, he skidded to a rather abrupt stop, his beak wide open.

"M…Marlene…?"

The shock of only just realizing exactly _who_ he was attacking was clear as he then turned his scarred head to a struggling Kowalski, exclaiming "you nev'r tol' meh threat wa' _Marlene! _She not dange'ous!"

Kowalski kicked the last remains of the heavy net away before leaping to his feet, yelling "she _is_ a threat Rico, JUST LOOK AT HER!"

The weapons expert was still in disbelief as he turned his incredulous head back to Marlene, completely unprepared for what happened next.

Before either penguin had even the slimmest, most miniscule time to react, Marlene tightened her fighting stance and with precision, slashed at Rico's neck, tearing through soft flesh and witnessing the startled look of terror briefly light his eyes before he fell to the cement floor, gasping for breath that refused to come.

Bright crimson blood dripped from her outstretched knife, red particles littered the air, and the intensely grinning otter watched dark blood shower onto the ground beside the fallen soldier's body.

Her single eye was flaming with an unimaginable amount of raw, untamed power, the light of any single trace of love or sadness were nonexistent within the deranged expression outlined against her face.

At that moment, in all her 'glory', Marlene was nothing more than what she'd been created to do, she was nothing more than a programmed _machine_…nothing more than Android 468, sent to assassinate the penguin's she had once called her friends.

* * *

Kowalski was breaking.

_This isn't happening…this just can't be happening…_he repeated throughout his mind, becoming increasingly more terrified with each passing second.

His thoughts were split into so many opposite directions, that if Skipper had been there, he knew he would have been slapped right across his tear-stricken face.

The simple things, the _obvious_ realizations, were becoming nearly impossible if not strenuous feats for Kowalski. His mind was blank, his face, despite the tears, remained completely emotionless.

…Because, for the first time in all his life, the proclaimed strategist had no options.

His crude and hastily formed plan had failed…if there was even really a plan there to begin with...

The grief starting to rise within his sub-conscious showed immediately through his tears, but for what he was feeling besides that in the stormy atmosphere was anybody's guess. He remained where he stood, although expressionless to the world, inside his compressed emotion raging self, he was paralyzed, the horror of his dying teammate before his eyes only made him feel even more helpless against the broken pieces to his own senses.

Defenseless.

Unable to run, unable to move, unable to do anything but _watch_ as Rico bled out into the night, Kowalski's face was illuminated by a flash of lightning, revealing the slightest hints of pain and anger breaking through the 'brave, emotionless face' he was trying to express.

He needed to be strong, like Skipper he reasoned; he couldn't let even the slightest trace of any form of fear become openly displayed to his enemies.

But Kowalski's not Skipper.

…And Skipper wasn't there.

_Skipper's dead_ Kowalski thought, in which movement caught his sight.

Blankly staring at Marlene's encroaching form, he eyed the bloody knife in her paws with an expression that could only be summarized as one of growing panic and desperateness.

"_There are no more options…_" he breathed, almost immediately giving in, for the heavy blow of Rico's death was only now starting to leave its ugly mark, compromising his once simple ability to think and reason.

She moved with her eye locked onto Kowalski's stupefied form, coming in full swing of her weapon, the glittering specks of blood coated her target's face and chest.

Numbly, and only in response to his years upon years of training, the tall bird dodged the attack, slowly letting the strength to move on course thru every inch of his body, despite that blatant lie of reassurance he kept repeating to himself, that he could do it, _that he could win,_ he knew he was just wasting time.

His once expressionless face steadily took on an increasingly more aggressive demeanor to it, the blue of his eyes hardening with a wide scowl forming along the length of his beak.

Yes…he simply knew the unavoidable truth, no matter how much it hurt to admit it…

It hadn't taken him too long to realize his best friend and brother of war had died, and he hadn't been able to do a damn thing about it. That's what Kowalski hated the most…was that all he could do was _watch_…

He was losing his edge, and at that moment, his feelings were starting to get in the way, taking over his body and controlling his every movement.

As he dodged each powerful, ongoing attack, only one thought raced throughout his mind which made the tense bird smile with bittersweet determination.

Yes, Kowalski knew he was going to inevitably die, but he wasn't going to walk down that path without first putting up one hell of a fight.

He would rather die knowing he'd at least _tried_ to avoid her attacks, rather than be killed with the knowledge he was in his most helpless state of mind and had done nothing to protect himself.

_That's what Skipper would have wanted_ he thought grimly while moving back further and hopelessly trying to create distance between himself and Marlene.

* * *

Marlene was relentless.

Snarling, the android pressed forward, each step bringing her knife ever closer to Kowalski's throat and chest, even catching his skin a few times, and watching as feathers and wisps of blood glided through the air to splatter onto the rain sodden zoo path.

Frenzied and wild, Marlene wished to feel and see the blood pool even stronger down the penguin's neck or chest and glide off his feathers in her own twisted, and all the more sadistic way. She'd already seen Rico die by her own paws, and it had sent a satisfying chill throughout her body, in which she desperately wanted more.

"_Stop…"_

The light, almost non-existent voice rose from deep within her mind, in which she deliberately ignored.

"_Stop…please…"_

Marlene had now corned her prey against a tan wall, the muscles beneath her skin rippled as she tensed the knife within her grip, the fur on her body streaked in random, messy directions as she bared her teeth to Kowalski's rigid, bleeding form.

"_MARLENE STOP!" _

Confused, the otter halted her persistent attacks to Kowalski, a sweet, yet desperate voice reached her ears in her moment of surprise, crying for her to stop for a fourth time. Without expecting it, she was caught off guard, and her immediate reaction was to turn and face the voice coming from directly behind her, the voice she'd previously thought had been herself.

In front of her, sobbing, drenched, and completely miserable, was Private, holding out her forgotten revolver in shaky flippers.

Clearly, from the look of grievance highlighted within his features, the young cadet had seen what had become of Rico, and had chosen to stay within the shadows until he could figure out what to do next. He knew that by himself, he really was no major threat against Marlene…although he still couldn't quite make sense of the matter at flipper…all he knew was that Rico was dead because of her, and that Skipper was MIA, which was reason enough to form a plan of his own, seeing Kowalski was in trouble from the start of it all.

Despite having a far superior weapon than Marlene's simple knife, the young penguin was hesitant with the cool metal pressed between his outstretched flippers, his tone wavering, he yelled "not anotha step Marlene…or…or I'll shoot!"

Letting the knife hang limply in her paws, Marlene cocked her glittering, sparking head to the side, not the least bit of fear present within her single, dark, hollow eye…now that she knew it was Private.

It was too easy to detect the unsurely delivered threat in the small penguin's voice. Even if she tried, she just couldn't be frightened of him, so taking this perfect moment to her advantage, she held out her paw in one neat, plainly demanding gesture and whispered hoarsely "giv' meh the gun Pri'."

* * *

Kowalski drew in a shocked breath, having lost all feeling in his body the moment he witnessed Private with the gun aimed at Marlene.

_No…not Private…anybody but Private! _He nearly screamed within his mind as Marlene drew closer to his last, very much frightened teammate.

But instead of helping the young cadet, Kowalski took what could have been the time to attack Marlene to exclaim in a weak tenor "I thought…Private I thought I told you to stay back in the HQ…it's too…"

Private met his superior's eyes when the noise reached him, in which a fiercely determined, yet somber look stared back at the scientist. The small penguin was about to open his beak, but in his distraction, Marlene jumped him.

In his sudden fright, the weapon accidently discharged and tore through a section of Marlene's side and exited just as plainly.

Ultimately through, the bullet whizzed through the rain and skimmed so close to Kowalski's unprotected head that it grazed against the lieutenant's cranium.

Yelping in pain and surprise, Kowalski fell over and hit the ground hard, knocking his skull into the solid cement. An instant pounding formed in the side of his ringing head, which took him a second to overcome and be able to fully re-stand again with a heavy groan.

Dizzy from the pain, exhaustion, and draining affect of his prolonged grief and re-found anger, Kowalski placed a flipper to his throbbing head just when a sharp scream of help was quieted by a loud crack.

That sickening noise took only a matter of a second to process within his regaining stature.

"No…no, no, no, no, no!"

Kowalski's legs were shaking and this time, he could not contain his emotions. The pain of what he was seeing before his eyes was horrific…and all the more saddening.

Violent tremors rocked the solider as Marlene dropped his young teammate's limp body to the ground, a soft clank followed as the gun rolled away from his flippers.

She picked it up, and twirled it around in her paws, nearly purring in contempt to her own handiwork.

Kowalski fell to his knees(?) and buried his bleeding face into his flippers, sobbing with the consciousness that this…well…that this was a battle he couldn't possibly win.

He heard the unmistakable click of the next bullet falling into place…the bullet that would surly end his life.

_Why didn't I help him…why did I do nothing while Private…sweet, brave Private…take up the fight and at least TRY. I…I…I could have saved him, helped him, did something! _Kowalski thought frantically as his breaths came in sharp, painful sobs.

His eyes gleamed bitterly up at Marlene, the penguin without so much as a plan to fall back on, felt his heart rate pick up speed, the adrenaline within his blood was wearing thin, and he was on his last remaining wire.

_Maybe death will give me peace _he thought gruffly.

But that was quickly diminished within his mind as through his distressed thoughts, something was hammering its way to the front of his mind.

Raising his head, and even more careful to not let his eyes wander to his fallen teammate, Kowalski was seeing the bare threads of an idea, a stupid, and so plainly obvious idea, break through his increasingly depressive state.

"How…how could I have forgotten" he mumbled before rising to his feet, a light smile actually set across his beak.

Looking a bit straighter and more dignified, Kowalski cried in a dragged out, tired tone "fine, you've won Marlene…I'm done."

To prove his point, Kowalski raised his flippers in the air. Snarling, he lowered his brow and roared in a frightening tone "KILL ME ALREADY" without so much as a second thought.

Marlene didn't need to be told twice, as she had already pulled the trigger while Kowalski was still talking. The lieutenant fell, crimson blood gushing from a wound to his chest.

* * *

The place where it all had started…all the blood that had flowed…the destruction of a once caring mind…all of it…had started here.

A quiet cough of pain was near silenced by the waves of beating rain.

Using his single, undamaged appendage, he stood, but almost immediately he fell back down, for the excruciating pain was something in all his entire life, he'd never experienced. The throbbing in his skull burned just as intensely as the agony in his shattered flipper.

But he was still breathing.

He was moving.

…And although injured and in pain, Skipper still had a job to do.

Protecting his team, no matter the costs…and destroying the very existence created by his arch enemy was all that consumed his mind. Out riding the hurt and betrayal, the bleeding penguin began to limp out of Marlene's home and into the rain.

Yes, he was very much alive…and he had, of all who he'd known in his entire life, Kowalski to thank for that.

**A/N: ****I have a pretty good idea of how to finish this, but I'd love to here you're input on the plot so far because I feel like it's going down hill. I'd love to read whether you ****agree or disagree with my comments or however else you think/feel about it. I'm thinking this might help me to finish the last bits of the story, but like I said above, I'm really limited on my writing time, and I probably won't update for a while, sorry, I would write more if I could.**

**Thank you for reading, and it would be really awesome if you could give me some honest opinions on the plot...I'm not stopping the story, I'm going to keep continuing, I just want to know what the overall view any readers have of how things are progressing. :)**

**Oh, and next chapter will reveal how Skipper could have survived being shot in the chest...any guesses? And ****I was really, _really_ border lining whether I wanted Marlene to 'kill off' (I hate saying that...but not sure how else to word it) at least Private and Rico, but yes after really thinking about it for the story line, for anyone who might be wondering, they were definitely killed. :'( **

******Again, thanks for reading and you're truly awesome if you've read the entire A/N and/or are still reading/reviewing the story. :) **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone!**

**My absence was unavoidable (school and life sucked me away) but now its summer, which means more time to write! :D**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed, are still reading, or are new to the story, it means a lot to know that people are reading this. :) **

**I haven't had the time for reviewing, so I'm making it my goal to go back and review all the great stories I missed in my absence. **

**Disclaimer****: I don't own PoM**

**I hope you enjoy this longer chapter and please know that even though I don't update that often, I don't plan on leaving/giving up on this story.**

* * *

Night drew in a sharp, raged breath, easing and stilling the misty atmosphere for a brief moment, just before dowsing the whole of Manhattan in chilly air expelling from the aftermath of the heavy rain and passing clouds.

The worst of the rain was over and, in fact, it had stopped altogether. But of course, traces of the fading storm were present if one simply looked to the surrounding environment, from the heavily dripping trees of Central Park to its sodden grass and massive puddles; the unexpected storm had surely left its mark.

Certainly though, definite events of a more brutal act remained within the walls of a once caring, homely place, and just like the storm's lasting presence, despite its dissipation, the actions of a night's work remained fresh on the mind of a particularly weary android otter as she exited the Central Park Zoo.

Her feet dragged against the dull grey pavement and in the breakage of the cloud cover, the slightly waning full moon could just be seen rising above the passing mass of clouds, its luminescent glow casting eerily dark shadows throughout the park's trees and hills.

She hardly noticed the icy specks of deeply colored blood sliding along the length of her knife and dripping carelessly behind her. The blood of the slain mingled with Marlene's own black artificial life substance, creating pools behind her; yet more reminders of what she'd done, and what had been done to her.

Increasingly weary, Marlene was having a difficult time processing how it was possible that her friends…the ones she'd proclaimed to love through all her morally positive rights and infinitely kind heart, had died by her own paws.

No matter how many times she told herself it had to of been a bad dream, a nightmare, she couldn't bring herself to find any great truth or comfort in those words…especially with the thought of Skipper managing to ring in and out of her mind, from his last words to the blood that had too of spilled from his chest, these memories were horrifying in their significance.

After only just reaching the soft, wet grass at her feet, she took off in a silent run with her quietly terrified thoughts.

Just too simply bury all that had happened was stupid to Marlene since, out of all the things to lie to one's self about, how in hell is it even remotely _possible_ to hide _murder?_

What's a worse way of knowing what has been done, then to remember the smile pressed to cold lips as blood rained, or how an intoxicating fire raged with a pulsating beat down the successor's throat at the snap of each bone and powerful click of a bullet prepared to slaughter?

It's easier to lose all self control and even learn there was none, then to create a storybook of lies that replay nothing but a harshly fictitious dream with the turn of every bloody page…inducing the oblivious storyteller nothing ever happened.

Of _course_ nothing happened, since _murder_, _blood_, _carnage_, are all just foreign, _unheard of_ words. They mean nothing, display nothing, and are blissfully ignored through a golden shield of protection.

These kinds of things just don't happen to the common ones and believably sane, _do_ _they? _

Of course they do.

Of course all of the world's sound, hellish fury _always_ seems to remain focused on one target, whether deserving or not and usually, it's never justifiable. When is it ever right to feel the pressure of a brandished, metaphorical gun to the back of one's head, demanding complete obedience… complete submission…to carry out what is neither wanted nor morally correct to the eyes of the captive.

Marlene's own creator is a character of impeccable wit and brute mentality. The gun, always posed to fire, is like the seemingly harmless praise Blowhole delivers upon her, slowly, it pulls the metal trigger, placing a dog in its dutiful place next to its master, but what happens when the one so loyal, so obedient to follow orders, silently revolts through undiscovered hate?

The flipper may be about to release, but the greatest shock is when the one with the gore splattered wound has met an entirely new victim, one unforeseen to the 'gun wielder' himself.

Yet in a strange sort of way the wielder knew…and in knowing, they chose through a deepening sense of fear not to believe it. After all, why would one with so much power and control, someone with so much at stake, believe for an instant they'd failed?

Not anyone with a right mind and obsessive drive for success would believe their plans could backfire, especially with lives hanging on the balance at the tips of _his_ flippers.

So once more, as Marlene began to fitfully race up a particularly large hill of Central Park, did she suddenly remember why it had been so _important_ she'd done this horrible, insane act of loyalty, taking her all the way back to when she'd been about to fight Skipper in her home cave.

The promise she'd made to herself was drawing near to its revelation, and in delicate awareness, as if about to shatter by just its mere symbolism, was her freedom.

* * *

When Marlene had exited the zoo, a badly injured and very hurt penguin was rounding a corner to finally be facing the sight of iron black bars and the reassuringly cool water of his home.

Covered in blood, Skipper made his way towards his HQ, stepping on pieces of shredded, falling cloth coming from his chest along the trek home.

He remembered all too well when he'd ordered Kowalski, all those many years ago before even Private had joined his team, to make penguin sized bullet proof vests, and with every step, he was silently thanking the scientist for making them.

Assembling them hadn't exactly been rocket science, just proper measurements and the use of the right materials had created one of Kowalski's more successful, durable 'inventions' with minimal flaws, if it could really be called an invention.

With time though, most of the quirks were repaired and improved upon, and by Skipper's request, the lieutenant had installed an extra, unnoticeable layer to the vest. Fake, but very real looking blood filled the section between the bullet proof material and the outer black and white coating, an ingenious idea, well to skipper at least, to thoroughly convince his enemies they'd killed him, if it ever came down to it…so long they didn't check for a pulse.

That was good enough for Skipper though, and being as paranoid as he always is, he'd rarely, if ever, had taken it off. Kowalski always wore his as well, because it made sense if there was ever an attack, that this could possibly save his life.

Unfortunately though, Rico and Private had chosen to vouch out of wearing the vests. With Rico being a loose cannon who simply was uncaring to the safety precaution, and Private summarizing the whole idea as being silly and overly paranoid, the two surprisingly got away from the scrutinizing eye of Skipper.

It didn't matter for that night, whether they had or hadn't of worn the protection, since the vests wouldn't have saved either Private or Rico…

Skipper was so overly excited to reach the penguin habitat that it took him a few moments to realize the heavy-set body of his weapons expert lying motionless in a bloody mess, just a few feet away.

His face remained completely shocked, nearly disturbed by the sight, with the blankness emanating from his eyes steadily increasing into the sure motions of a captain's grief for one of his fallen men. "Rico…?" He rasped in an unbelieving whisper, never to realize the breath he was currently holding captive within his chest, that is, until his lungs began to painfully scream for air.

Rushing forward by the near startling silence claiming its deathly hold on Rico, the military commander began to cry out in dismay his teammate's name, believing for an instant his weapons expert could come back to the living world, where he was needed most. Skipper was uncaring to who may have heard, although he himself knew the other zoo residents would be asleep and soundly resting because of the heavy storm, so the likelihood of them hearing his cries of grief were minimal.

Choking back unwanted tears, Skipper knelt down beside his dead comrade, feeling his bruised heart strain within his chest.

He couldn't have stopped it, the death of his very much loved teammates, and it killed him more than anyone could possibly realize, as in just a short distance away, the round mass of a soaked black and white body was caught within his peripheral vision.

Sobs wretched his own body, he simply couldn't contain them, and he certainly couldn't fight it, that heated mix of anguish, thrown in the same pot as his increasing rage, and tightly bound together by all the pain he could possibly tolerate.

These were his own friends, brothers, his fellow comrades, the ones in his life that had kept him alive physically and mentally over the years and...

It was a devastating blow.

The hardened threads of his breaking point seemed to fret and unravel, straining tight to keep its secure hold of whatever precious sanity there was left within his subconscious; hoping it wouldn't snap was all the captain could possibly hold on to in light of his situation.

Slowly, the injured penguin closed his comrade's stony blue, listless, and forever gazing eyes. Carefully, Skipper avoided having to look at the open wound to Rico's neck, fearing he'd never relinquish the grisly sight from within his mind's eye.

Standing on shaky legs, his heart beating faster, Skipper moved in Private's direction with his head bowed and uninjured flipper clenched. "I let them die…" he rasped, the weakness in his voice catching him by surprise, as if he still expected that strong, confident voice to remain after all that had happened.

He felt the responsibility for these lost lives endlessly weigh him down, creating more small sobs to rise from his throat at the expense of his pounding head and once unbreakable pride.

Never had he cried so much or so sincerely in all of his life.

Never, had he felt so much pain, loss, and grief for the deceased or for the hollow throb in his head, and unfortunately, he was still coming to terms with this screaming, miserable pain in his broken flipper.

He gently touched Private's cold, motionless chest, wishing for the warmth to return, _willing_ it to return.

"Something…anything…please…"

But there was nothing, no kind, inviting smile telling Skipper he'd be alright. There was no sudden gasp of breath as life returned back from the claws of death. There was nothing but stillness, only magnifying reality, and Skipper let his flipper drop and turned himself away from the scene, unable to take it.

He hardly had time to breath when the next gruesome looking sight came to his attention. Blood and mixed rain were lying in red pools along the path. Skipper was expecting to find the same fate to have come to his other teammate, but he was shocked beyond belief when a flicker of movement caught his sight.

The possibility that…

He needed to find out, make sure this wasn't some hopeful daydream that his mind was creating to enlighten his spirit.

He rushed forward when his lieutenant began to softly moan, realizing in an instant this wasn't a dream or hallucination as the flippers of his dazed lieutenant slowly tried to lift himself into a sitting position.

Despite the pain in his flipper, Skipper practically tackled the remaining member to his team, the light in his eyes swiftly reflecting upon his outward joy and relief for the time being.

Roughly, Skipper grabbed his teammate's shoulder and demanded in the disbelieving penguin's face "Kowalski, _please_ tell me you have the vest on and that all of _that_ is _not_ your blood."

Kowalski remained speechless for the next few seconds before whispering within his leader's tight hold "Skip…per…? But…you, you died…unless I've died…then in that case this must be some subconscious doings of my own fading memories…"

Still holding on to him, Skipper lifted the disoriented penguin to his feet and then let him go before taking in this miracle with as much gratitude as one could expect in finding a bit of treasure in a pile of ugly coal.

"…Or maybe I'm in a coma…drifting on the edge of death…unless of course I've already died-"

"Kowalski."

The taller penguin instantly stopped talking as Skipper made the sure motions of a typical smack to his babbling comrade, but instead, as his intact flipper drew near, he cradled the side of Kowalski's face and said simply with a glittering eye "you're alive Kowalski, and so am I."

* * *

Crashing and faltering in the flames of her own heated reflections, was Marlene sorry for all that had caused her to lose her sanity and destroy all she'd ever held close to, for the sake of a _promise_ she'd made all those years ago, to signify she actually _meant_ something, other than a piece of working metal to her creator?

Yes, without a shadow of a doubt, as she raced away from her former life, Marlene hated herself for the mistakes she felt she'd made.

She wished she could stab away this deep sense of detestation in a quick outward flick of her knife, cutting away the pain, the grief, and the boiling rage that spilled from her by the second.

Was this what it was truly like, to feel this cascade of entangled, rich emotion she'd only been able to briefly grasp from others?

Yes, and God forbid, she hated it.

Hated and despised the feelings she'd always wondered about and had felt to a minimal degree, that now, if she had the chance, she'd throw it all away if it meant returning to the innocent way things had been.

Reaching the top of the hill she'd been climbing, Marlene came into view of a tall line of trees, their branches full of fresh, vibrant green leaves. Taking in the earthy smell of wet grass and leaves was rejuvenating, making her forget her troubles for a moment as she came to a stop.

But that feeling was quickly drawn away as a black figure crept from the shadows like a venomous snake preparing to lash out to his unsuspecting victim.

The sudden fear Marlene felt at, after so many years, seeing her creator not behind a screen was absolutely nerve-wracking. The bright red of his robotic eye glowed in the dark as he slunked forward on his segway, a wide, devious smile could be seen along his face from the soft glow of his eye, highlighting the light bluish grey skin with a tint of red, his single working eye taking on a harsher glow of vengeful thought and feeling.

"Well done indeed Android 468, I had feared you would not comply with my orders, but you've surprised me…a marvelous performance with deadly consequences."

Of course he'd be watching.

Marlene clenched her paws into unnoticeable fists as Dr. Blowhole patted the top of her head, his smile never ceasing as he then clapped in mock applause. "Dear Android 468, you have acceded well past my expectations, and I could not be any more proud" he spat before adding "it only took you what, nearly five years to achieve my goals?"

Waiting for a reply from the silent android, Blowhole growled while turning "what, has tonight's work cut off your tongue?"

He looked over his shoulder in anticipation as Marlene pointed to her broken jaw, relying on this excuse to not have to answer him, for fear her words would give away her lashing anger and bitterness.

Motioning his flipper for her to jump on to his segway, Blowhole roughly grabbed a hold of her face and studied the broken jaw before mumbling in a bored monotone "pity…well, I'll have you fixed up once back at my lair. You should have been more careful Android 468, I can't fix you up every time you become clumsy in your work."

She only nodded in response as they made their way through the trees. In the thickest and most secluded looking portion of the park, Marlene's wide eyes came upon a large sphere of sorts, glowing from beams of harsh light surrounding its massive figure. It was made of a glass-like substance, and Marlene could clearly see the many different controls within.

Lobster minions by the dozen surrounded the structure and were either chatting of unimportant events or packing supplies away for departure. Dr. Blowhole cleared his throat and immediately gathered their attention. They eyed Marlene for a brief second as the smugly grinning dolphin cackled "the immediate mission has been successful. We shall leave as soon as Red's group has returned, which brings me to ask…where are they? Don't they know we are on a tight schedule here!"

"Calm down Doc."

A bright red minion spoke hastily from the gathered group of lobsters, finishing with his eyes resting on a walkie talkie.

"Just before you got here Doc, Red said they'd be here any minute."

Blowhole huffed and growled "fine. Prepare for immediate leave. I want to be out of here before the final show."

Startled, Marlene rasped despite her jaw "final 'ow?"

The smirking dolphin looked down at his creation, talking as though she were an ignorant child "oh yes Android 468, a spectacular 'show' just for you, in your honor my dear, as well as a celebration of _my_ success…one that won't be forgotten anytime soon."

He and Marlene entered the large dome, in which Blowhole directed her to a small platform beside him in the center of the structure.

She gazed quizzically up into his never ceasing smile and all he answered her puzzled expression with was a "you'll see."

* * *

"We need to find their base of operation."

Kowalski was staring at his leader's constant pacing as the commando penguin began to voice fragments of ideas that made absolutely no sense to the intellectual.

Having only just reunited with his 'dead' commander, Kowalski was still in shock, despite Skipper's explanation of the vest, and still, he was in the process of grieving over his lost teammates and in light of it all, this was beginning to be too much for him to take.

"-can attack by morning and take them by surprise-"

"Skipper you're making no sense!" Kowalski interrupted with a shrill cry before limping in front of his bloodied Captain.

"Who are _they_ Skipper, and what could possibly be more important than figuring out what to do about our…our teammates" he rasped with tears leaking down his cheeks.

Skipper stiffened at the sight of his lieutenant, only seeming to just realize he was there, and spoke in a rush before moving around him "there's nothing we _can_ do Kowalski. There's nothing that can bring them back, and I've already come to terms with that…you should too."

"I already know they're _dead_ Skipper, I'm asking what to do about the bodies before someone stumbles across them…we can't just…leave them here."

Skipper eyed his lieutenant before saying "I know. That's why we bury them and then move on, away from the zoo and the people here."

Kowalski nodded in solemn agreement. His flippers were shaking as he asked "you didn't fully answer my question sir, who are _they_?"

"_They_ Kowalski? _They_ are the scum that started this mess. _They _are the ones who killed my men, Kowalski. _They_, namely _he_, is none other than Dr. Blowhole, now, anymore pointless questions?"

The tall penguin's brow lowered and he retorted "Dr. Blowhole…really Skipper, I find that a bit hard to believe after we-"

"Kowalski,_ she_ murdered Private and Rico…not to mention she tried to kill _me_. At this point, anything should and can be possible. Besides, I overheard them talking of our demise…right timing, coincidence, fate…I don't care what you call it soldier, all I care about it is that I received that secret Intel."

"Marlene's working for Blowhole?" Kowalski gasped, although the look in his eyes betrayed that he wasn't all that shocked by the information, after all, what Skipper said was true, anything was believable at this point in the playing field.

Skipper visibly stiffened at the mention of the otter's name. He tightly closed his eyes and growled in a low tone "I don't want to hear her name soldier, she, it, whatever is fine...but it's caused nothing but problems for all of us."

Seeing the hurt within his expression, Kowalski nodded in understanding, quite frankly, he realized he probably would never be able to look at another otter without thinking of how in just a day, his life and that of Skipper's had been completely turned upside down with the betrayal of a close friend and the untimely death of his comrades.

"What do we do now sir?" Kowalski asked, his voice straining to not portray how exhausted he was feeling, only for the sake of being as strong as Skipper was appearing.

"We bury our friends…and then we move out." Skipper replied simply, sorrow clinging to his words.

Kowalski nodded before moving toward the body of Rico. He watched as Skipper made his way toward Private, only just seeing how badly damaged his flipper was and he recoiled at the sight.

"Skipper you're hurt…" he said, his tone hollow and weak.

"We're all hurt and in pain Kowalski," Skipper muttered before gently placing Private over his shoulder, feeling horrible in the way he was carrying and treating the one he'd often thought of as a son, but there was no other way to effectively move him, so it had to do.

"We're all hurt and in pain…" Kowalski echoed quietly, his pain displayed by the effort it took in taking Rico in his flippers and following Skipper like soldiers wading through the ash of the fallen.

**A/N: ****Please review to tell me what you think, and if you have any questions, concerns, ect, you can PM me or leave it in a review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. **

**I got the vest idea from the episode In the Line of Doody (I think that's the one...) where Skipper wears a vest to protect the mayor (?) from the pigeon, (yeah its been a while and I don't fully remember the episode), but I figured hey, if Skipper would wear something like that, why wouldn't he have bullet-proof vests? So anyway... **

**Thanks for reading! ^_^ **


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